CubeSat constellations: New era for precision agriculture?

Precision Agriculture (PA) has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent decades due to the rapid evolution of technologies to optimize farming practices. CubeSats (CS), specifically PlanetScope (PS) Constellations, are playing a crucial role in revolutionizing remote sensing in the agricultural sector. These small and cost-effective satellites are equipped with advanced sensors, such as cameras and multispectral imaging devices, which enable high-resolution data capture of crop conditions and land parameters. By providing frequent and regular monitoring capabilities, they empower stakeholders with daily near real-time information essential for decision-making. Integrating this satellite data with other information resulting from heterogeneous sources enhances precision farming applications, allowing them to make informed choices regarding crop management, disease detection, irrigation strategies, and yield predictions. This review introduces the concept of CS in PA, highlighting their state-of-the-art and recent advances. It explores the role of CS, mainly Planet Labs Products, in the field of PA, discussing the evolution of PS, its recent developments, and the monitoring capabilities it offers for crops. Additionally, this review aims to assess the potential of PS alone and in combination with other existing data products. Finally, it discusses the limitations and challenges associated with CS in general and PS in particular and suggests areas for improvement in this new era of technology.