CubeSats deliver new insights into agricultural water use at daily and 3 m resolutions

Authors

Bruno Aragon, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Sciences and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Matteo G. Ziliani, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Rasmus Houborg, Planet, San Fransisco, CA, USA
Trenton E. Franz, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Matthew F. McCabe, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

6-9-2021

Citation

Scientific Reports (2021) 11:12131

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-91646-w

Comments

CC-BY

Abstract

Earth observation has traditionally required a compromise in data collection. That is, one could sense the Earth with high spatial resolution occasionally; or with lower spatial fidelity regularly. For many applications, both frequency and detail are required. Precision agriculture is one such example, with sub-10 m spatial, and daily or sub-daily retrieval representing a key goal. Towards this objective, we produced the first cloud-free 3 m daily evaporation product ever retrieved from space, leveraging recently launched nano-satellite constellations to showcase this emerging potential. Focusing on three agricultural fields located in Nebraska, USA, high-resolution crop water use estimates are delivered via CubeSat-based evaporation modeling. Results indicate good model agreement (r2 of 0.86–0.89; mean absolute error between 0.06 and 0.08 mm/h) when evaluated against corrected fux tower data. CubeSat technologies are revolutionizing Earth observation, delivering novel insights and new agricultural informatics that will enhance food and water security efforts, and enable rapid and informed in-field decision making.