Rural agriculture often faces limited access to precision technology and efficient downstream management, hindering productivity and sustainability. This community service initiative aimed to implement and evaluate a Solar-Autonomous AgroDrone, a solar-powered drone system designed to support automated crop monitoring and downstream agricultural processes in Curahmalang Village, Jember Regency, through the Community Service Program of Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember. While prior studies confirm that drone technology improves precision farming efficiency, integration with renewable energy for rural community empowerment remains underexplored. The program applied a participatory action approach involving 25 farmers and 15 village youths through technical training, field demonstrations, and supervised agricultural monitoring over 12 weeks. Data were collected from crop productivity records, operational cost comparisons, and structured adoption surveys, then analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. The findings show a 27% increase in crop monitoring efficiency and a 32% reduction in fuel-related operational costs due to solar energy utilization. Early pest detection responsiveness improved by 45%, and 68% of participating farmers indicated readiness for sustained adoption. No significant technical failures were recorded during implementation. These results support sustainable agriculture theory emphasizing renewable energy integration and digital precision tools for resilient rural development. In conclusion, the Solar-Autonomous AgroDrone enhances automated downstream agricultural practices while strengthening energy-efficient and sustainable farming systems. Its novelty lies in combining solar-powered drone innovation with community-based agricultural empowerment within a structured service-learning framework.
Journal article //
IC Journal of Science, Technology and Society
Solar-Autonomous AgroDrone: Innovation of a Solar-Powered Drone System for Automated Downstream Integration in Precision Agriculture toward Sustainable and Globally Competitive Agricultural Transformation
Vol. 1
No.1
(2026)
Abstract
Full Paper
Cite this
Mahmudi, G. A., Imani, A. B., & Mahmudi, F. A. (2026). Solar-Autonomous AgroDrone: Innovation of a Solar-Powered Drone System for Automated Downstream Integration in Precision Agriculture toward Sustainable and Globally Competitive Agricultural Transformation. IC Journal of Science, Technology and Society, 1(1), 1–10.
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