FLORAL RADIOMETRY: IIITM-K Rediscovers Sir C.V. Raman to Initiate New Dimension in Ecological Research in India

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.