Lalmuanzuala et al. (2026) Multi-scale drought monitoring using meteorological and vegetation indices over different agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu, India

Identification

• Journal: Plant Science Today
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-21
• Authors: B Lalmuanzuala, Nagaranai Karuppasamy Sathyamoorthy, Ga Dheebakaran, Ramasamy Jagadeeswaran, Rajagounder Ravikumar, C S Sumathi
• DOI: 10.14719/pst.16329

Research Groups

• Agro Climate Research Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 614 003, Tamil Nadu, India
• Department of Remote Sensing, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 614 003, Tamil Nadu, India
• Department of Physical Sciences and Information Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 614 003, Tamil Nadu, India

Short Summary

This study aimed to monitor and assess multi-scale drought dynamics across different agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu using a combination of meteorological and vegetation indices. The research found that crop canopies responded instantaneously to moisture loss, with a zero-month lag.

Objective

• Investigate the relationship between aridity and vegetation in 38 districts and seven agro-climatic zones (ACZs) of Tamil Nadu.
• Assess the impact of drought on agricultural productivity across different regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu, India.
• Temporal Scale: 1991–2024.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI), Multi-source Weighted Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) data.
• Data sources: Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cropland images, 2002–24.

Main Results

• The study identified four state-wide drought years: 2002, 2003, 2013, and 2016.
• Deficiencies in the Northeast monsoon led to more severe agricultural stress than deficiencies in the Southwest monsoon.
• Crop canopies responded instantaneously to moisture loss, with a zero-month lag.

Contributions

This research provides farmers and policymakers with useful zone-specific early warning information for efficient deficit irrigation management, planting window adjustments, and the deployment of drought-tolerant crop types.

Funding

• This study was funded by [project/program name] (reference code).

Citation

@article{Lalmuanzuala2026Multiscale,
  author = {Lalmuanzuala, B and Sathyamoorthy, Nagaranai Karuppasamy and Dheebakaran, Ga and Jagadeeswaran, Ramasamy and Ravikumar, Rajagounder and Sumathi, C S},
  title = {Multi-scale drought monitoring using meteorological and vegetation indices over different agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu, India},
  journal = {Plant Science Today},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.14719/pst.16329},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.16329}
}