Remote sensing based assessment of the dynamics of crop productivity and spatial production pattern across the Fergana Valley, Central Asia

Abstract

Agricultural production systems are a vital lifeline of the rural farming community in Central Asia. However, shrinking natural resource base, increased land degradation and severe irrigation water scarcity render current crop production practices not sustainable as these perform below their potential. Though there is considerable scope for improving productivity through bridging the yield gaps and introducing sustainable land management practices. However crop productivity and production pattern varies across scales, mostly driven by irrigation water availability, markets, and agronomic/cultural practices. Climate change could put additional pressure on production systems in the future by decreasing the major source of irrigation water, namely glaciers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop spatial decision systems which provides accurate and timely information on agricultural production that would facilitate the development of target specific and appropriate climate resilient intervention packages.