Net Crop Research Articles

Effects of climate variability and insurance adoption on crop production in select provinces of South Africa

AbstractIncreasing climate variability increases the risks in production and prices of agricultural products. Inarguably, Africa's susceptibility to climate change is high because it hosts the majority of the world's poor who cannot afford the costs of coping mechanisms. Agricultural insurance is being largely put forward as a coping measure of adapting to climate change to sustain farm production and farmers' livelihood. The study critically reviewed numerous publications on climate change impacts and the role of insurance in the adaptation process. It examined the effects of varying weather conditions and insurance on net crop revenue using the instrumental variable regression approach on a Ricardian model. The study further identified factors influencing the purchase of insurance among the farmers with a probit model. The study data were collected from a cross section of farmers in three selected provinces of South Africa. Results of data analysis indicated that owning insurance, number of labourers employed, size of irrigated farmland and rainfall have significant effects on net revenue. It was also revealed that experience, indicated by years of farming and revenue, influenced farmers' adoption of insurance. Consequently, the paper advocates for the provision of efficient irrigation facilities and promotion of insurance among farmers.

Spatiotemporal Patterns of Desertification Dynamics and Desertification Effects on Ecosystem Services in the Mu Us Desert in China

Degradation of semi-arid and arid ecosystems due to desertification is arguably one of the main obstacles for sustainability in those regions. In recent decades, the Mu Us Desert in China has experienced such ecological degradation making quantification of spatial patterns of desertification in this area an important research topic. We analyzed desertification dynamics for seven periods from 1986 to 2015 and focused on five ecosystem services including soil conservation, water retention, net primary productivity (NPP), crop productivity, and livestock productivity, all assessed for 2015. Furthermore, we examined how ecosystem services relate to each other and are impacted by desertification. Three major conclusions are drawn from the study. First, the eastern part of the study area experienced overall improvement while desertification in the west first increased and then reversed its trend during those periods between 1986 and 2015. Second, significant synergistic relationships are observed for three regulating services (soil conservation, water retention, NPP) and two provisioning services (crop productivity and livestock productivity). Strong relationships across different types of ecosystem services were found only between crop productivity and NPP. Third, in response to increasing desertification, the three regulating services exhibit a monotonically decreasing trend, while the two provisioning services follow a hump-shaped response.

FIRB Intercropping of Vegetables and Seed Spices with Wheat for Higher Productivity and Profitability of Small and Marginal Farmers

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years commencing from 2014-2015 to 2015-2016 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana, India to assess the productivity and profitability of vegetables and seed spices intercropping with wheat under bed planting. Pooled analysis showed that radish planted on bed recorded maximum wheat equivalent yield (113.55 q/ha), which was significantly higher than all other treatments.Among the intercrops, wheat on bed +radish in furrow produced maximum wheat equivalent yield (92.46 q/ha), which was 36.37 % higher than sole wheat crop. This was followed by wheat + turnip intercrop with 77.98 q/ha wheat equivalent yield. Growing of other four intercrops like wheat + cauliflower, wheat + cabbage, wheat + coriander, wheat + fenugreek was not feasible in furrows probably owing to shading effect of wheat crop. Maximum net return obtainedin sole radish crop on bed followed by wheat on bed + radish in furrows intercrop, which was 96.5% and 27.4% higher than sole wheat crop, respectively. Therefore, selective vegetables can be easily grown in furrows under bed planted wheat, which will be boon to small and marginal farmers. Doi.org/ 10.25174/2249-4065/2017/73366

2001-2014年博斯腾湖流域植被物候时空变化及其驱动因子

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 2001-2014年博斯腾湖流域植被物候时空变化及其驱动因子 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201708071416 作者: 作者单位: 1 新疆师范大学 地理科学与旅游学院,1 新疆师范大学 地理科学与旅游学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（41461006，47164003）；变化环境下干旱区湖泊流域-生态-经济复合系统的协同进化与发展，模式研究（U1703341） Temporal and spatial variation of vegetation phenology and its driving factor analysis in the Bosten Lake Drainage Basin from 2001 to 2014 Author: Affiliation: Xinjinag Normal University,Xinjinag Normal University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:以博斯腾湖流域为研究对象，利用MODIS的MCD12Q2和LST产品、GHCN_CAMS气温观测/再分析资料与气象数据，采取趋势分析与相关性分析法探求了博斯腾湖流域2001-2014年植被物候的时空变化及其影响因素的相对作用，对博斯腾湖流域植被物候分区不同的驱动区域。结果表明：①在研究期内，整个研究区植被物候始期在第76-168天，末期在第172-295天；物候始期自南向北逐渐推迟、而末期逐渐提前，物候的空间分布特征与该区海拔高度的分布保持了较好的一致性；②2001-2014年植被始期和末期有明显提前趋势（提前3-6d），主要分布在流域的盆地和平原绿洲区，表示研究区植被物候受到人类活动的影响。③植被物候始期与末期变化受气候因子驱动影响的区域占比分别为57.10%和51.30%，主要分布在黄水沟流域，清水河流域，孔雀河流域，大尤路都斯盆地和小尤路都斯盆地周围地区；而非气候因子占42.90%和48.70%，主要位于博斯腾湖周围绿洲和库尔勒绿洲等地势较低的区域。④由植被生长季物候与降水、气温的偏相关性关系和复相关性关系可以得出，多年物候始期和末期与气温有关；而且随海拔升高，气温的敏感幅度越高。博斯腾湖流域植被物候的时空变化不仅是受气候变化的影响，还主要受人类活动和海拔高度差异等影响因素的共同作用。 Abstract:Vegetation phenology is widely used as an independent measure and powerful indicator of primary net productivity, crop yields, insect emergence, bird migration, climate change, carbon balance and cycle, and fundamental ecosystem function and is influenced at the local and global scales by climatic factors (including precipitation, temperature) and human activities. Studies of vegetation phenology are important, as solutions are needed to overcome issues such as environmental change, sustainable management, and biodiversity conservation. Hence, an in-depth understanding of the spatio-temporal variations and driving factors of vegetation phenology are important in the currently changing environment. The Bosten Lake Drainage Basin is located in northwest China and covers a vast area with a complicated terrain, including most of the middle Tianshan Mountains in the northwest, whole Yanqi basin, and northeast part of the Tarim basin in the south, which are characterized by distinctive distribution patterns of temperature, precipitation, and human activities. Here, based on the MCD12Q2, GHCN_CAMS air temperature, Digital Elevation Model(DEM), and metrological observed data, we established monthly geographical weighted regression (GWR) models and measured the near surface air temperature. Next, spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and driving factors of vegetation phenology in the Bosten Lake Drainage Basin were studied by determining slope, partial correlation, and multiple correlations. The results demonstrated that:(1) the start of growth season (SOG) was concentrated in 76-168 Julian days, whereas the end of growth season (EOS) was in 172-295 Julian days; the SOG was delayed and EOS was gradually advanced from north to south. Elevation played an important role in the regional differentiation of vegetation phenology; with increasing altitude, SOG was significantly delayed, EOG was advanced, and the length of the growth season (LOG) was significantly shortened. (2) SOG and EOG advanced synchronously in the plane oasis area during 2001 and 2014 because of the influence of human activities. (3) Climatic factors affected the area of SOG and BOG accounted for 57.10% and 51.30%, respectively, and was mainly located in the Huangshuigou river watershed, Qingshui river watershed, Konqi river watershed, Qongyultuz basin, and around the Kiqikyultuz basin. Non-climatic factors affected the area of SOG and BOG, accounting for 42.90% and 48.70%, and were located in low-altitude regions including the oasis around Bosten lake and the Korla oasis. (4) The correlation between vegetation phenology and climatic factors by partial correlation and multiple correlations demonstrated that variations in inter-annual SOG and BOG were mostly affected by air temperature. As altitude increased, vegetation showed obvious sensitivity of phenology to temperature. In summary, spatio-temporal variations in vegetation phenology in the Bosten Lake Drainage Basin are not only influenced by climate change, but are also influenced by the combined effects of human activities and altitude. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Maize ( Zea mays L.) Variety Adaptation Performance Evaluation at Tendahoo Sugar Factory Afar Regional State Ethiopia

Six Maize genotypes were planted in RCBD with three replication each in 10 m by 10 m plot by furrow irrigation to evaluate adaptation performance of Maize genotypes and identify high yielding and heat tolerant genotypes adapted to Tendaho sugar estate in order to enhance the net national crop production in general and product diversification in sugar estates in particular in the near future. The analysis of variance showed that genotypes included in the test differed highly and significantly at (p=0.05) probability level for all traits and maize grain yield mean value comparison or mean separation result indicated that the genotype BH-546 is superior compared to others with 58.5 quintals grain yield per hectare followed by MH-4 and BH-540 genotypes with 50.3 and 43 quintals grain yield per hectare value. Based on the productivity standard the superior genotype BH-546 scored 95% and 17%, respectively yield advantage over the national (30 qt/ha) and global (50 qt/ha) maize average productivity.

Net income risk, crop insurance and hedging

PurposeAt the beginning of the production year producers face a complex risk management decision environment given by risks specific to their operation, multiple crop insurance contracts and hedging opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a producer-level framework for risk management decision making, focusing on the interaction between crop insurance and hedging.Design/methodology/approachThe authors develop a Monte Carlo simulation model that generates a producer’s net income (NI) distribution that incorporates historical producer risk, price-yield correlation via a copula, price risk, and production costs. The authors evaluate the NI distribution through a modified Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) decision framework. The authors use the modified MPT decision framework to explore tradeoffs between expected NI and farm ruin (defined as 1 or 5 percent expected shortfall) from different crop insurance contracts and pre-harvest hedging options.FindingsOnly revenue protection and the highest two levels of coverage level exist on the efficient frontier. The level of hedging on the efficient frontier ranges from 0 to 55 percent of Actual Production History. The authors find that increasing coverage level 5 percent (from 80 to 85 percent) negatively impacts the optimal hedging amount by 26 percentage points (from 35 to 9 percent).Originality/valueThe model provides the precise identification of financial benefits from different risk management strategies by incorporating producer-level historical yield data, using a copula to capture yield-price dependency structure and producer production cost in generating the NI distribution. This model can be applied to any producer’s characteristics and data.

An interval multi-objective programming model for irrigation water allocation under uncertainty

An interval linear multi-objective programming (ILMP) model for irrigation water allocation was developed, considering conflicting objectives and uncertainties. Based on the generation of interval numbers through statistical simulation, the ILMP model was solved using a fuzzy programming method. The model balances contradictions among economic net benefit, crop yield and water-saving in irrigation systems incorporating uncertainties in both objective functions and constraints that are based on the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater. The model was applied to Hulan River irrigation district, northeast China. Tradeoffs between various crops in different subareas under different frequencies were analyzed, and scenarios with different objectives were considered to evaluate the changing trend of irrigation water allocation.Results indicated that the ILMP model provided effective linkages between revenue/output promotion and water saving, and offers insights into tradeoffs for irrigation water management under uncertainty.

Growth analysis in groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) as influenced by Foliar nutrition

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2013 to Study “Foliar nutrition in groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.)’’at Main Agricultural Research Station, Dharwad under rainfed situation. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block Design (RCBD) with three replications and ten foliar treatments of major nutrients. The growth attributes such as plant height (23.94 cm), number of branches (7.82 plant-1), chlorophyll content (43.58), leaf area (8.90 dm2 plant-1), leaf area index (2.97), leaf area duration (40.69 days), total dry matter production (40.22 g plant-1), net assimilation rate (0.136 g dm-2day-1) and crop growth rate (0.124g dm-2 day-1) were higher in foliar spray of 2.0% urea + DAP + MOP combination (T8). Similarly, pod yield (3746 kg ha-1), kernel yield (2905 kg ha-1), haulm yield (4253 kg ha-1) and harvest index (0.36) were higher in foliar spray of 2.0% urea + DAP + MOP combinationat 45 DAS followed by foliar spray of 19:19:19 N:P2O5:K2O compared to control (No spray).

Net house crop protection effects against salt water and strong typhoon winds – influence of wind speed and salinity effects on plant leaves

Net house crop protection effects against salt water and strong typhoon winds – influence of wind speed and salinity effects on plant leaves

Analysis of Good Agricultural Practices in an Integrated Maize-based Farming System

ABSTRACTProfitability due to use of good agricultural practices (GAPs) is important for improving farmer return on investment. Although GAPs are theoretically expected to be profitable, actual returns accrued to farmers may not necessarily be realized due to shortfalls in profit to farmers after harvest. Farmers cultivate vegetables because of their high farmgate values and profitability per unit area compared to field crops. However, farmers sometimes experience reduced profits due to lack of awareness and technical know-how on improved technologies, lack of bargaining power at market, and lack of access to market information and high-value markets. The objective of the study was to measure gross margin of GAPs introduced to farmers using a financial cost–benefit analysis approach. In 2013, a field survey of 45 randomly selected farm households was administered to elicit enterprise data on production practices including Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and other crops before intervention of GAPs. A similar survey was carried out in the GAP intervention area in 2014 from 55 randomly selected farm households. Integrating GAPs within existing maize-based farming systems yielded an average gross margin of US$1870·ha−1 for vegetable producers who primarily produce tomato, African Eggplant (S. aethiopicum L.), cv. DB3, and Amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus L.), cv. Madiira 1, compared to standard farmer practices that yielded a gross margin of US$1846·ha−1 during the study. Profit from the introduced GAPs was not statistically different from traditional practices within the short time duration. Whether the introduced GAPs could enhance farmer net crop income and livelihood over the long term needs to be determined.

Evaluating land cover changes in Eastern and Southern Africa from 2000 to 2010 using validated Landsat and MODIS data

In this study, we assessed land cover land use (LCLU) changes and their potential environmental drivers (i.e., precipitation, temperature) in five countries in Eastern & Southern (E&S) Africa (Rwanda, Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi and Namibia) between 2000 and 2010. Landsat-derived LCLU products developed by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) through the SERVIR (Spanish for “to serve”) program, a joint initiative of NASA and USAID, and NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were used to evaluate and quantify the LCLU changes in these five countries. Given that the original development of the MODIS land cover type standard products included limited training sites in Africa, we performed a two-level verification/validation of the MODIS land cover product in these five countries. Precipitation data from CHIRPS dataset were used to evaluate and quantify the precipitation changes in these countries and see if it was a significant driver behind some of these LCLU changes. MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) data were also used to see if temperature was a main driver too.Our validation analysis revealed that the overall accuracies of the regional MODIS LCLU product for this African region alone were lower than that of the global MODIS LCLU product overall accuracy (63–66% vs. 75%). However, for countries with uniform or homogenous land cover, the overall accuracy was much higher than the global accuracy and as high as 87% and 78% for Botswana and Namibia, respectively. In addition, the wetland and grassland classes had the highest user’s accuracies in most of the countries (89%–99%), which are the ones with the highest number of MODIS land cover classification algorithm training sites.Our LCLU change analysis revealed that Botswana’s most significant changes were the net reforestation, net grass loss and net wetland expansion. For Rwanda, although there have been significant forest, grass and crop expansions in some areas, there also have been significant forest, grass and crop loss in other areas that resulted in very minimal net changes. As for Tanzania, its most significant changes were the net deforestation and net crop expansion. Malawi’s most significant changes were the net deforestation, net crop expansion, net grass expansion and net wetland loss. Finally, Namibia’s most significant changes were the net deforestation and net grass expansion.The only noticeable environmental driver was in Malawi, which had a significant net wetland loss and could be due to the fact that it was the only country that had a reduction in total precipitation between the periods when the LCLU maps were developed. Not only that, but Malawi also happened to have a slight increase in temperature, which would cause more evaporation and net decrease in wetlands if the precipitation didn’t increase as was the case in that country. In addition, within our studied countries, forestland expansion and loss as well as crop expansion and loss were happening in the same country almost equally in some cases. All of that implies that non-environmental factors, such as socioeconomics and governmental policies, could have been the main drivers of these LCLU changes in many of these countries in E&S Africa. It will be important to further study in the future the detailed effects of such drivers on these LCLU changes in this part of the world.

Balancing GHG mitigation and food security through agricultural recycling systems: Case studies in the North China Plain

In recent years, China has developed a series of disposal methods and corresponding recycling systems to deal with agricultural wastes, as well as to mitigate climate change. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the net greenhouse gas emissions (NGHGE) and crop yields of three types of typical recycling systems, based on case studies in the North China Plain. These systems are the CC system, “crop production-crop production” by returning crop straw to the soil; CPC system, “crop production-pig rearing-crop production” by returning pig manure to the soil; and the CPBC system, “crop production-pig rearing-biogas production-crop production” by returning biogas residue to the soil. The overall results show that a reduction of 15.18% in NGHGE was achieved with the CPC system compared with a system where no pig manure was returned to the soil. NGHGE of CPBC system achieved a reduction of 352.25% compared with no biogas being produced and no pig manure being returned. These results imply that the development of recycling agriculture, i.e., manure reuse and biogas production, is a superior method to reduce GHG emissions. Additionally, compared with CC system, crop yields improved by 17.75% and 18.68% in the CPC and CPBC systems, respectively, which is an important factor in guaranteeing food security. Therefore, compared with non-recycling practices, by reusing organic wastes, these recycling systems reduced the total GHG emissions and increased crop yields. Accordingly, agricultural recycling offers a promising system for dealing with large volumes of waste, responding to global climate change, and ensuring food security in China.

Agronomic and Physiological Responses of Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) under Different Water Management Systems, Fertilizer Types and Seedling Age

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the agronomic and physiological responses of rice under different water management systems, types of fertilizer and seedling age. This experiment was done at the farm of Agri Park, College of Agriculture, Central Experimental Station (CES), Crop Science Cluster of the University of the Philippines Los Banos, College Laguna during 2013. The strip-split plot design with three replications was used with the two types of fertilizer (vermicompost and chemical fertilizer), water management (with and without standing water) and two seedling ages (10 and 14-d old) were the treatments in the experiment. Chemical fertilizer produced the highest grain yield, total dry matter (TDM), leaf area index (LAI), net assimilation rate (NAR) and crop growth rate (CGR). Most of these characters significantly increased in 10-d old seedlings with chemical fertilizer without standing water. The shorter phyllochron and higher root pulling resistance (RPR) were observed in 10-d old seedlings without standing water. For the variety NSIC Rc 216, the use of 10-d old seedlings grown without standing water with chemical fertilizer is the optimum conditions for the better growth and high productivity.

Impact of agricultural water reallocation on crop yield and revenue: a case study in China

Our study area in the People's Victory Canal Irrigation District of Henan Province in China has been transferring agricultural water to the city for municipal use. This study starts with an examination of the impacts of irrigation frequency, irrigation water sources, and irrigation water supply performance on crop yield and net crop revenue, using data from a survey of 182 households in the study area. Thereafter, it analyzes the impact of agricultural water reallocation (AWR) on crop yield and revenue. The study ends with an estimation of the compensation for affected farmers and a discussion of the compensation methods. Regression results indicate that irrigation frequency shows a significantly positive impact on crop yield and net crop revenue. The change of irrigation water source from canal water to well water and local small river water decreases the integrated crop yield of wheat and rice by 9% and 12%, and decreases the net integrated crop revenue by 16% and 19%, respectively. AWR decreases the integrated crop yield of wheat and rice by at least 2%, and decreases the net integrated crop revenue by at least 3.5%. Estimated compensation for affected farmers is between 78.72 and 97.85 USD/ha.

Selection of potential method for cultivation and seed stock maintenance of Kappaphycus alvarezii during the northeast monsoon in southeast coast of India

Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P.C. Silva was cultivated in two different methods, i.e., floating bamboo raft method and floating long line net bag method to study the potential biomass (g FW plant−1), its growth pattern and highest crop yield (kg FW) in northeast monsoon season at Mandapam coast, south east coast of India. Growth data, crop yield, cost, and economics were analyzed. The study was conducted from October 2014 to March 2015. The overall average (of three growth cycles) crop yield obtained after 60 days was 330.00 ± 67.26 kg FW line−1 with DGR of 3.49 ± 0.34 % in floating long line net bag method and 215.56 ± 61.98 kg FW raft−1 with DGR of 2.07 ± 0.44 % in floating bamboo raft method. The net fresh crop yield 7836 kg FW was obtained (in three growth cycles) in floating long-line net bag method and it was 4200 kg FW in floating bamboo raft method and also the margin of safety (47.19 %), return on investment (87.24 %), and profit margin (46.59 %) were higher in floating long line net bag method than floating bamboo raft method. Hence, the floating long line net bag method is more efficient and economically superior to floating bamboo raft method for seed stock maintenance and commercial cultivation during northeast monsoon, which enables year round cultivation at southeast coast of India.

Adaptation to climate change and its impacts on food productivity and crop income: Perspectives of farmers in rural Pakistan

Evaluation of the ongoing efforts for farm level adaptation to climate change is crucial to understand their effectiveness and to suggest further actions at the policy level. The current study explores the adaptation of wheat farmers to climate change, its determinants and its impact on food productivity and crop income in rural Pakistan. This study is based on a primary dataset of 442 wheat farmers conducted through face-to-face structured interviews from 65 villages across three agro-ecological zones of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The study employs logistic regression analysis to find adaptation determinants and uses the propensity score matching technique to estimate the causal impact of adaptation on food productivity and crop income. The results of the study suggest that wheat farmers were well aware of climate change, but for various reasons did not adapt accordingly. The major adaptation strategies implemented by wheat farmers include changing planting dates, crop varieties and fertilizer types. Moreover, education, farming experience, access to agricultural extension, weather forecasting and marketing information were the factors that significantly affected farmers' adaptation decisions. Adapting wheat crops to climate change significantly and positively affects wheat productivity and net crop income and hence indirectly improves the farmers' wellbeing and local food security. More benefits were achieved by farmers who used a combination of different adaptation strategies. The study suggests to focus on farmers' education, easy access to farm advisory services and information on new adaptation methods for sustainable food production and local food security.

Фотосинтетична продуктивність посіву люпину вузьколистого залежно від технологічних прийомів

Фотосинтетична продуктивність посіву люпину вузьколистого залежно від технологічних прийомів

Increasing Crop Insurance Coverage Levels: An Assessment

Average crop insurance coverage level has increased from 67% in 2002 to 75% in 2015 (see Figure 1). This period follows enactment of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, the last stand-alone federal crop insurance act. The increase spans years before and during the crop boom, which is usually dated as starting with the 2007 crop. A common observation is that revenue variability increased during the crop boom. This observation is examined, as is the potential role net crop insurance payments to farms by insurance coverage level may play in increasing coverage levels.

Fuzzy Multiobjective Irrigation Planning Using Particle Swarm Optimization

AbstractParticle swarm optimization (PSO) technique is applied in multiobjective irrigation planning environment, to the case study of Khadakwasla complex, India. The project consists of Khadakwasla irrigation project, Janai Sirsai lift irrigation scheme, and Purandar lift irrigation scheme. Objectives considered are net benefits, crop production, and labor employment on an annual basis. Uncertainty in the three objectives is tackled by a fuzzy approach and through hyperbolic and exponential membership functions. An irrigation planning scenario of 75% dependable inflow with groundwater and treated wastewater is analyzed (termed as 75WGWHM) and is the basis for formulating the multiobjective problem. Two additional scenarios, S1 with 75% dependable inflow without groundwater using a hyperbolic membership function and S2 with 75% dependable inflow with groundwater using an exponential membership function, are also explored and compared with 75WGWHM. It is observed from the results that hyperbolic membership...

Geospatial Techniques for Improved Water Management in Jordan

This research shows a case from Jordan where geospatial techniques were utilized for irrigation water auditing. The work was based on assessing records of groundwater abstraction in relation to irrigated areas and estimated crop water consumption in three water basins: Yarmouk, Amman-Zarqa and Azraq. Mapping of irrigated areas and crop water requirements was carried out using remote sensing data of Landsat 8 and daily weather records. The methodology was based on visual interpretation and the unsupervised classification for remote sensing data, supported by ground surveys. Net (NCWR) and gross (GCWR) crop water requirements were calculated by merging crop evapotranspiration (ETc), calculated from daily weather records, with maps of irrigated crops. Gross water requirements were compared with groundwater abstractions recorded at a farm level to assess the levels of abstraction in relation to groundwater safe yield. Results showed that irrigated area and GCWR were higher than officially recorded cropped area and abstracted groundwater. The over abstraction of groundwater was estimated to range from 144% to 360% of the safe yield in the three basins. Overlaying the maps of irrigation and groundwater wells enabled the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) to detect and uncover violations and illegal practices of irrigation, in the form of unlicensed wells, incorrect metering of pumped water and water conveyance for long distances. Results from the work were utilized at s high level of decision-making and changes to the water law were made, with remote sensing data being accredited for monitoring water resources in Jordan.