Crop Stress Index Model From Canadian Climate Stations

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Crop Stress Index (CSI) dataset models water stress for crops. It calculates CSI as 1-(AET/PET) using the Versatile Soil Moisture Budget model with temperature, precipitation, and crop-specific coefficients. The dataset is modeled for climate stations and was last updated in February 2026.

Use Cases

• Predicting crop water stress levels using the CSI formula based on AET and PET ratios.
• Analyzing temporal trends in crop stress from modeled time-series data at individual climate stations.
• Mapping geospatial patterns of agricultural drought risk using the station-based GEOTIF outputs.
• Calibrating crop-specific phenological models using the growth stage estimation derived from temperature and precipitation.

Strengths

• Model integrates crop-specific biometeorological time scales and water extraction coefficients from published research.
• Data is provided in GEOTIF format, enabling direct spatial analysis and integration with GIS software.

Limitations

• Specific sample size, row count, and temporal coverage are not provided, limiting assessment of scope.
• Model reliance on station-based temperature and precipitation may limit spatial resolution between stations.

Provenance

Source

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Collection Method

Modeled using the Versatile Soil Moisture Budget (VSMB) with input from climate station measurements.

Freshness

Last updated February 2026.

Geography

Canada (climate station network).