Story
Janaki Ammal was a botanist and cytogeneticist. Her work on sugarcane hybrids helped India grow its own sweeter varieties. She co-authored the 'Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants' and was later asked to reorganise the Botanical Survey of India.
Key contributions
- Developed high-yield, sweeter sugarcane hybrids at Coimbatore
- Co-authored the Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants (1945)
- Awarded the Padma Shri in 1977