Comparison and evaluation of the suitability of existing irrigation area products in the Yellow River Basin

Accurate monitoring of irrigated farmland is crucial for water resource management and food production forecasting. While remote sensing has enhanced global irrigation monitoring, a systematic comparison of existing products is still needed. This study evaluates six irrigation area products—GFSAD, GMIA-Meier, GMIE, IAAA, IrriMap-CN, and Xiang—using the Yellow River Basin as a case study. Four types of in-situ measurement data— TPD-FIWEC, FSD, and both ASMD and MSMD—were analyzed, resulting in a validation dataset of 5382 points. Results based on area and spatial accuracy showed that GMIE performed best, with a relative area deviation (RAD) of 17.33 %, overall accuracy (OA) of 0.72, a consistency index (CI) of 0.65, and both omission and commission errors (OE and CE) below 0.40. Cross-comparison showed that only 22.62 % of irrigated pixels were identified by more than three products. The Comprehensive Evaluation Index (CEI) analysis revealed regional performance variations, particularly in areas such as LZ to TDG, the Mid-altitude region, and the Northern arid/semi-arid and Humid Climate regions, where several products performed well. This study provides a solid foundation for applying irrigation area products in water resource management and offers recommendations for future optimization.