Evaluating crop water stress through satellite-derived crop water stress index (CWSI) in Marathwada region using Google Earth Engine

Accurate information of crop water requirements is essential for optimal crop growth and yield. Assessing this information at the appropriate time, particularly during the vegetative and reproductive stages when water demand is highest, is crucial for successful crop production. Our study cantered on the drought-prone Marathwada region, specifically targeting the years 2015 to 2020, encompassing the challenging drought year of 2015 and the favourable year of 2020. The crop water stress was detected using crop water stress (CWSI) index and compared with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference wetness index (NDWI) derived from satellite data. Our findings reveal a negative correlation between the CWSI and satellite derived vegetation indices NDVI and NDWI. Notably, the NDWI index exhibits stronger alignment with CWSI compared to NDVI. The correlation demonstrates particular robustness during drought or deficient rainfall years such as 2015, 2017, and 2019, while weaker correlations are observed in 2016, 2018, and 2020. Moreover, these correlations display variations across different areas within distinct rainfall zones.