| There are various indicators to monitor and management of agricultural water resources in arid and semi-arid countries including Iran, some of which can be extracted directly in situ, and some can be retrieved using remote sensing technology and satellite images. Aim of this study is to propose the most appropriate and efficient indicators of agricultural water resource management for achieving maximum production and maximum water efficiency using remote sensing technology, therefore, Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) and Surface Energy Balance Algorithm (SEBAL) were used to estimate Evapotranspiration (ET). In the first step, ET rate was calculated using SEBAL algorithm for six Landsat 8 satellite images related to the wheat growth period. Then, zoning of this index was done in the range of zero to one, in four categories of very low, low, medium and high, which respectively indicate the lowest to the highest amount of ET. In next step, CWSI was calculated based on Idso equation, and its results show different changes both in cold season and in warm months. Comparison of ET and CWSI shows a significant relationship between these two indices in warm months, while in cold months, no significant relationship can be seen. These findings along with the established relationship between ET and CWSI can inform water management strategies in arid environments for sustainable crop production. |
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