The Department
of Ecological Informatics, Indian Institute of Information Technology and
Management - Kerala (IIITM-K), Trivandrum, Kerala, India has carved a niche for itself. They have
introduced studies of floral reflectance in India and coined the term 'Floral
Radiometry' to denote reflection-based studies of flowers.
Radiometry is the science of measuring light in any portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum. In practice, the term is usually limited to the
measurement of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light using optical instruments.
Although
studies on reflection from petals are widely available from the developed
world, it remained totally overlooked in India (and South Asia) till we
stumbled upon it.
Surprisingly
the importance of reflection based studies were foreseen by Sir. C.V.
Raman during 1960s.
However, for want of instrumentation,
it was not studied then (they had light transmitting instruments -
spectroscope). Subsequently when remote sensing evolved, it took an entirely
different trajectory and soon the words of the Nobel laureate were forgotten.
Almost
half a century later researchers at IIITM-K rediscovered it. As an ode to the
genius, the Ecological Informatics Laboratory at IIITM-K is named C.V. Raman
Laboratory of Ecological Informatics.
The
preprint version of first results of Floral Radiometry in India are currently available at "Bio-archive"
(http://biorxiv.org/)
- the preprint server for Biology, maintained by Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory. http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/11/18/088583.
Mr.
Sooraj. N.P and Ms. Athira Kakkara are researchers working on Floral Radiometry
at IIITM-K.
References of Sir C.V. Raman
1 Raman C. V, Floral colours and the physiology of
vision. Current Science.1963, (32), 293-296
2
Raman C V, The visual synthesis of colour. Current
Science. 1964, (33), 97-101. http://repository.ias.ac.in/69678/1/69678.pdf. Date
accessed 12 August 2016
3
Raman C V. Blue delphiniums and the purple bignonia.
Current.Science. 1969; 38: 553-554.
4
Raman C. V, The pelargoniums. Current. Science. 1970:
39: 1-2.
