Drought assessment for kharif rice using standardized precipitation index (SPI) and vegetation condition index (VCI)

Abstract

The monthly weather data for 31 years from 1985-2015 was used to analyze the extent of meteorological drought using standardized precipitation index (SPI) over Allahabad, Kanpur and Lucknow. MODIS NDVI data from 2000-2015 was used for monitoring of agricultural drought through NDVI based vegetation condition index (VCI) for all the three districts. The monthly SPI and VCI values from July to October were correlated with productivity index (PI) of kharif rice.Both the indices (SPI and VCI) were positively correlated with PI for all the districts. In Allahabad SPI and VCI during September month showed a significant correlation (0.70**& 0.61*) while in Kanpur VCI during October and SPI of July and August were significantly correlated with PI of kharif Rice. The multiple regression equation developed for predicting kharif rice PI in Allahabad, Kanpur and Lucknow districts explained 69 to 76 per cent variability in PI.

Keywords

• Drought indices
• standardized precipitation index (SPI)
• vegetation condition index (VCI)
• productivity index (PI)