Based on above analysis, we can conclude that satellite remote sensing can be used to monitor the agricultural
drought. Among all indices discussed in this paper, it seems that both the VCI and the VHI that combines the VCI
and day-time TCI match with USDM drought report very well although the satellite-based monitoring has much
higher spatial resolution. The TCI using night-time land surface temperature estimated by the MODIS instrument
might contaminates the agricultural drought maps or unrealistically underestimate the severity of the agricultural
droughts. Still, further investigation, especially a quantitative one, is required regarding which drought map is the
closest to reality. In 3 out of the last 4 years, the Texas state experienced severe to extreme agricultural droughts.
The consecutive agricultural drought caused the cotton price to reach an all-time high. More price hikes in the cotton
are expected largely due to extreme to exceptional droughts occurring in 2011.