Disclosed are methods of producing nutrient solutions having unique isotopic fingerprints; methods of producing traceable plants; and methods of identifying the source of a traceable plant that does not rely on expensive artificially separated isotopes. Plants grown with these nutrient solutions will have unique isotopic fingerprints that will be difficult or impossible to counterfeit.

Disclosed are methods of producing nutrient solutions having unique isotopic fingerprints; methods of producing traceable plants; and methods of identifying the source of a traceable plant that does not rely on expensive artificially separated isotopes. Plants grown with these nutrient solutions will have unique isotopic fingerprints that will be difficult or impossible to counterfeit.

System (1) for separating bulk-supplied plant-bulbs into a single-file stream of spaced plant-bulbs and a method for transporting and spacing objects. The system comprises a bulk-conveyor (2) for conveying a plurality of plant-bulbs as a bulk mass; a single-file vibration-trough (3) downstream of the bulk-conveyor, arranged to receive plant-bulbs from the bulk-conveyor and to further convey received plant-bulbs in single-file; a single-file conveyor (4) downstream of the single-file vibration-trough, arranged to receive plant-bulbs from the vibration-trough; wherein the bulk-conveyor has a discharge edge (21) and the single-file vibration-trough is longitudinally aligned substantially parallel to the discharge edge; wherein the vibration-trough is configured to progress the plant-bulbs at a first speed, wherein the single-file conveyor is configured to progress the plant-bulbs at a second speed, and wherein the second speed is higher than the first speed whereby during use plant-bulbs transferring from the vibration-trough to the single-file conveyor are spaced on the single-file conveyor.

Disclosed are methods of producing nutrient solutions having unique isotopic fingerprints; methods of producing traceable plants; and methods of identifying the source of a traceable plant that does not rely on expensive artificially separated isotopes. Plants grown with these nutrient solutions will have unique isotopic fingerprints that will be difficult or impossible to counterfeit.

Disclosed are methods of producing nutrient solutions having unique isotopic fingerprints; methods of producing traceable plants; and methods of identifying the source of a traceable plant that does not rely on expensive artificially separated isotopes. Plants grown with these nutrient solutions will have unique isotopic fingerprints that will be difficult or impossible to counterfeit.