Sustainable Agricultural Development Research Articles

Evaluation of Agricultural Sustainable Development and Analysis of Coupling Coordination in Food Security Areas from the Perspective of Food Security

Agriculture is the foundation of the national economy, and the issue of food security is the cornerstone of national development. Heilongjiang province is China’s largest commercial grain base. How to achieve the sustainable agricultural development of Heilongjiang province under the problem of food security is of great significance. This article takes the five aspects of population system, social system, economic system, resource system, and environmental system, with a total of 29 secondary indicators as the basis for evaluation, the sustainable development and coordination of agriculture in Heilongjiang from 2005 to 2018 were evaluated by using entropy method and coupling degree model. The evaluation results showed that development methods of extensive agriculture greatly increased the grain output of Heilongjiang province from 2005 to 2007, but the level of sustainable agricultural development continued to decline, and there were also threats to the long-term development of food security. Although the sustainable level had been continuously improved since 2007, the whole system is still in the stage of low-level coupling and serious maladjustment. From the results of each subsystem, the coordination degree of population-environment system continues to decline, and the coordination degree of resource-environment system fluctuates in the low-level coordination state, which indicates that there is an obvious development in coordination among subsystems in Heilongjiang province, which restricts comprehensive and coordinated development of agricultural system. Based on the empirical analysis, this article takes Heilongjiang province as an example, and puts forward suggestions for sustainable agricultural development from the perspective of ensuring food security.

Socio-economic dynamics and crop diversification in south Gujarat: Towards sustainable agriculture and rural development

Socio-economic dynamics and crop diversification in south Gujarat: Towards sustainable agriculture and rural development

Evaluation of RothC model for predicting soil organic carbon stock in north-west Ethiopia

Assessing soil organic carbon (SOC) is vital for water retention, soil health, nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollutant reduction and thereby contributes to sustainable agricultural production and food security. Thus, using long-term climate, soil, and land management inputs, the Rothamsted Carbon (RothC) model was applied to assess the current and future SOC stocks in the Anjeni watershed using long term climate, soil and land management data. RothC was calibrated with long-term SOC, land management, and climatic data from the Anjeni watershed in north-west Ethiopia. The correlation coefficient between simulated and observed SOC in 1997 and 2021 were 0.77 and 0.86, respectively, suggesting that the model could characterize the SOC of the Anjeni watershed. Then, the RothC was used to estimate SOC in the watershed for 30 years, from 2022 to 2052, under three slope gradients and four land use type and carbon storage scenarios (business as usual (BAU), low, medium and high carbon inputs). The result indicated that in the lower slope gradient, the current SOC simulation is less than all future scenarios considered under all land use types. Grass/fallow land showed higher current and projected SOC than cultivated land and plantation forest. Moreover, grass/fallow land with a gentle slope gradient had higher SOC than the watershed's middle and high-elevation parts. Overall, the model projected an increase of SOC under different future scenarios that could be due to climate and land use cover changes, the long-term soil-water conservation camping works and better soil and land managements in the watershed. This future assists for water retention, soil health, nutrient cycling, soil aeration, and greenhouse gas emission reduction, which in turn could enhance agricultural productivity, food security, and sustainable development.

Impact of Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) Growing in Paddy Fields on Rice Yield and Its Underlying Causes

Duckweed growing in paddy fields (DGP) has substantially increased because of the effects of climate warming and/or eutrophication in irrigated water. Previous studies have primarily focused on investigating the effects of DGP as a nonchemical agent for enhancing rice productivity on nitrogen utilization in rice paddy fields. However, how DGP impacts rice yield remains poorly understood. Therefore, a field experiment with three representative rice cultivars was conducted to determine the effects of DGP on rice yield, considering ecological factors, photosynthetic capacity, spectral changes, and plant growth. The results showed that DGP significantly reduced the pH value by 0.6 and the daily water temperature by 0.6 °C, accelerated rice heading by 1.6 days and increased the soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD) and photosynthetic rate of leaves by 10.8% and 14.4% on average, respectively. DGP also markedly enhanced the values of various vegetation indices such as RARSc, MTCI, GCI, NDVI705, CI, CIrededge, mND705, SR705, and GM, and the first derivative curve of the rice canopy reflectance spectrum exhibited a ‘red shift’ phenomenon upon DGP treatment. Changes in the aforementioned factors may lead to average increases of 4.7% in plant height, 15.0% in dry matter weight, 10.6% in panicles m−2, 2.3% in 1000-grain weight, and ultimately a 10.2% increase in grain yield. The correlation observed suggested that the DGP-induced enhancement in grain yield can be achieved by reducing the pH and temperature of the paddy water, thus enhancing the SPAD value and photosynthesis of leaves and stimulating rice plant growth. These results could offer valuable theoretical support for the future sustainable development of agriculture and the environment through the biological synergy between rice and duckweed.

Importance of women empowerment for eco‐efficiency of small farms in the context of other social factors: Building sustainable agriculture in Central and Eastern European countries

AbstractIt is widely assumed that women's empowerment plays a key role in achieving sustainability in agriculture. However, there is a lack of empirical analysis to support this claim and operationalise the concept of women's empowerment. Furthermore, it has not been formally demonstrated through which farming practices women's empowerment can contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture, or whether gender empowerment is indeed meaningful compared with other well‐documented social drivers. We calculated frontier eco‐efficiency, taking into account specific environmental pressures (i.e., soil biodiversity loss) and public goods (i.e., plant diversity) as desirable outputs in small crop farms, which dominate in Central and Eastern European countries (Poland, Romania, Serbia and Moldova), based on a survey conducted in a sample of 1630 units. We estimated the impact of different levels of women's and men's empowerment on eco‐efficiency in the context of other time‐invariant socio‐economic factors (i.e., succession, age, education and specialisation) in a two‐stage double‐bootstrapped Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach. A set of four levels of gender empowerment was defined, taking into account social participation and decision‐making power. We then assessed the degree of input and output inefficiency associated with each level of gender empowerment. The general conclusion is that lower levels of women's empowerment have a negative impact on eco‐efficiency. Therefore, the issue of gender empowerment, not only in terms of equality, decision‐making and access to resources, but also in terms of social participation, should be emphasised in sustainable agriculture policies, on a par with the issue of ageing farmers and farm succession.

Does the closure of polluting enterprises improve rural livelihoods? Evidence from rural China

AbstractIn response to an increasingly dire pollution scenario, the Chinese government initiated the largest and most extensive environmental inspection campaign in history starting in 2016. Numerous polluting enterprises were closed due to environmental concerns in the rural areas. Drawing on two‐period panel data from the China Rural Development Survey, this study revealed the inherent mechanism of the polluting enterprises closure on local rural livelihoods using the difference‐in‐differences method and structural equation model, with reference to the sustainable livelihood framework. Results showed that shuttering polluting enterprises enhanced rural households' livelihood capital, notably in human, natural, and physical aspects, and promoted labor migration. Additional heterogeneous analysis revealed that the enhancements were notably more pronounced in Southern China and among affluent demographics. Based on the findings, we suggested the local government should support the development of sustainable agriculture and green industries and pay more attention to vulnerable populations when making policy decisions. The use of mandatory directives, such as shutting down polluting enterprises, is a common strategy in developing countries. This study presents an analytical framework for understanding the impact of environmental governance on the livelihoods of rural households in developing countries, contributing to a better balance between rural environmental management and livelihood improvement in these regions.

Unperforated film-covered planting contributes to improved film recovery rates and foxtail millet grain yields in sandy soils

Plastic film mulching improves the soil water content and temperature and, thus, contributes to enhanced grain yield in arid and semi-arid areas, such as Northwest China. However, in traditional film-covering methods, plastic films are difficult to recycle, causing environmental issues. Therefore, developing cultivation methods with enhanced film recovery rates is important for sustainable agricultural development. Here, we evaluated how the planting method affected the soil temperature, water content, film recovery rate, and grain yield by applying the following three planting patterns to the traditional crop, foxtail millet, in 2021–2022: no plastic film mulching (NP), plastic film mulching (MP), and planting on the film edge (PFE); in the latter, holes were not punched in the film and crops were planted approximately 5 cm from the film edge. The results for 2021 showed that the biomass ranged from 27.69 g to 33.76 g per plant, and the biomass was increased by 21.9% and 3.2% in PFE compared with NP and MP, respectively. However, in 2022, the biomass increased in PFE by 52.5% and 17.7% compared with NP and MP, respectively. In 2021, the highest grain yield was observed in PFE (2480 kg/hm2), followed by MP (2470 kg/hm2) and NP (2343 kg/hm2); in 2022, a significantly higher grain yield was observed in PFE than that in MP and NP. Although the soil temperature increased in PFE, it was not as high as in MP. The relatively higher soil temperature increased the root growth process, stimulated the production of root exudates (acetic acid and citric acid), and increased the soil enzyme (sucrase and urease) activity. Increases in organic acids and soil enzymes assisted in the decomposition of soil organic matter and induced relatively higher levels of available nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and the higher root reuse rates contributed to higher grain yields. In addition, fewer holes were punched in the film of the PFE model, which improved film recovery, and the recovery rate of PFE was higher than that of MP. These results indicate that the proposed unperforated film-covered planting pattern is suitable for millet production in sandy soil.

The Influence of Social Capital and Human Capital on Food Security in Karangpatihan Village, Indonesia

Agriculture is vital to food security because it provides food, clothing, and shelter. Based on the 2022 Indonesian Food Security Index (IKP), Ponorogo Regency is ranked 19th out of 416 districts throughout Indonesia, with a food security score of 86.20. However, there will be a decline in rice production in Ponorogo Regency in 2022. It will, of course, impact the condition of food security in villages, one of which is Karangpatihan Village. Social capital is a fundamental aspect of creating sustainable agricultural development. This concept refers to the beliefs, networks, values, and norms facilitating cooperation and collective action to achieve common goals. The strong trust between farmers is vital to fostering cooperation and strengthening their social networks. A good social network reflects mutually agreed-upon norms for establishing relationships and interacting. This research aims to identify the influence of farmers' social and human capital in supporting food security in Karangpatihan Village. Research data was obtained based on questionnaires from 250 farmers in Karangpatihan Village. The analysis used is structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, which is used to identify the influence between variables. Based on SEM analysis, there is a positive direct relationship between social capital and food security variables. Meanwhile, the direct relationship between human capital and food security variables is negative.

Effects of agricultural land management practices on crop production and household income in Ojoje, southern Ethiopia

Farmers in Ethiopia and other sub-Saharan African countries often implement various agricultural land management (ALM) practices to mitigate the negative impact of land degradation, increase crop yield, improve income, and safeguard the security of food. Despite the widespread use of these measures, their effect on crop productivity and related income has received relatively little attention in research, particularly in the context of mixed farming systems. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of ALM practices on crop production and household income in southern Ethiopia. Data was gathered from 423 sampled respondents, which included adopters and non-adopters of ALM practices. This study adopted multistage sampling to gather the data through a survey questionnaire. This study’s findings reveal that ALM strategies have a considerable impact on crop productivity and the incomes of farm households (p<0.05). Moreover, the adoption of integrated physical and biological intervention practices for longer durations resulted in a steady increase in both crop productivity and household incomes. Furthermore, analysis of the effect of long-term treatment indicates that farms show a significant and increasing marginal benefit to production after six years of intervention. These findings imply that integrating ALM practices and maintaining them for an extended period (i.e., 10 years) will help to increase crop productivity and household incomes. Hence, adopting a wider range of physical and biological ALM measures and ensuring their continual adoption are key strategies for improving crop production and increasing household income. This strategy will have significant policy implications and provide a solid foundation for sustainable agricultural development.

Contribution of Photosynthetic, Root and Phenotypic Traits to Soybean Plant Height

Breeding new high-yield and high-quality forage soybean cultivars is an effective approach to addressing the shortage of feed protein and sustainable agricultural development. Plant height is a key indicator of forage soybean genotypes and is closely related to forage yield. However, the determinants affecting soybean plant height remain highly uncertain. In order to analyze the factors contributing to plant height differences among soybean cultivars, two tall-stemmed soybean cultivars (“Neinong S001” and “Neinong S002”) and two short-stemmed soybean cultivars (“Neinong 0004” and “Neinong 0005”) were used in this study as test materials for examining aboveground phenotypic characteristics, root traits, and photosynthetic characteristics. The test materials were planted in 2018 at Chakintai Ranch (122°15′ E, 43°38′ N) using the potting method, and the indicators were measured in June. The results showed that the leaf area, root volume, and root surface area of high-stemmed soybean cultivars were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of short-stemmed soybean cultivars. Additionally, the dry weight of a single plant and transpiration rate were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in high-stemmed soybean cultivars compared to short-stemmed soybean cultivars. It was found that soybean plant height was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with leaf area, leaf shape index, intercellular CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, SPAD, root weight, root length, root surface area, and root volume. Further path analyses revealed that intercellular CO2 concentration and root surface area had a direct impact on plant height, with direct effect coefficients of 0.22 and −0.91, respectively. These results provide new insights into the sustainability development and genetic enhancement of plant height characteristics in forage soybean.

Analysing Constraints Faced by Extension Personnel in Executing Kerala's Premier Agricultural Development Initiative, LEADS: A Comprehensive Examination

This research explores the hurdles encountered by extension personnel during the execution of Kerala's primary agricultural development initiative, LEADS (Lead Farmer-Centered Extension Advisory and Delivery Services). Through thorough examination, it investigates several constraints, including insufficient funding, delayed salary distribution, restricted crop coverage, and climate change challenges. Proposed strategies to enhance LEADS' effectiveness involve improving funding mechanisms, streamlining administrative processes, and incorporating innovative technologies and climate-resilient practices. Addressing these challenges has the potential to promote sustainable agricultural development, enhance farmer livelihoods, and bolster food security in Kerala and beyond. The study involved 120 extension personnel across four Kerala districts: Kannur, Kollam, Palakkad, and Wayanad.

The Green Development in Saline–Alkali Lands: The Evolutionary Game Framework of Small Farmers, Family Farms, and Seed Industry Enterprises

Amid global climate change and population growth, the prevalence of saline–alkali lands significantly hampers sustainable agricultural development. This study employs theories of asymmetric information and bounded rationality to construct an evolutionary game model, analyzing the interactions among small farmers, family farms, and seed industry enterprises in the context of saline–alkali land management. It investigates the strategic choices and dynamics of these stakeholders under the influence of economic incentives and risk perceptions, with a focus on how government policies can foster green development. Utilizing Delay Differential Equations (DDEs) for simulations, this study highlights the risk of “market failure” without government intervention and underscores the need for government participation to stabilize and improve the efficiency of the green development process. The findings reveal that factors such as initial willingness to participate, the economic viability of salt-tolerant crops, seed pricing, research and development costs, and the design of incentive policies are crucial for sustainable land use. Accordingly, the paper proposes specific policy measures to enhance green development, including strengthening information dissemination and technical training, increasing the economic attractiveness of salt-tolerant crops, alleviating research and development pressures on seed companies, and optimizing economic incentives. This study provides a theoretical and policy framework for the sustainable management of saline–alkali lands, offering insights into the behavioral choices of agricultural stakeholders and supporting government strategies for agricultural and environmental protection.

No-tillage with straw mulching restrained the vertical transportation of chemical fertilizer N and reduced its leaching loss in Northeast China

Intensified by the pursuit of food security, nitrogen (N) source pollution caused by excessive chemical N fertilizer application has emerged as a major environmental threat, especially through nitrate N (NO3--N) leaching. While no-tillage with straw mulching is recognized for mitigating NO3--N leaching from chemical fertilizer N, its efficacy in deep soil layers remains unclear. Thus, employing the 15N isotope labeling technique in Northeast China's black soil, we investigated the impact of no-tillage and/or straw mulching on the transformation, vertical transport, and leaching loss of fertilizer N under five treatments: conventional ridge tillage (RT), and no-tillage with varying straw coverages (NT-0, NT-33, NT-67, and NT-100). Our results revealed that over 98.3% of fertilizer-derived mineral N in the soil was NO3--N, with substantial downward movement beyond 120 cm, posing a leaching risk. Three years after N fertilizer application, no-tillage and/or straw mulching with varying coverages significantly reduced fertilizer-derived NO3--N by averaging 36.3% in 0–300 cm soil profile, compared to RT with 18.36 kg ha−1 fertilizer-derived NO3--N in soil. Notably, no-tillage and/or straw mulching of 33%, 67%, and 100% coverages effectively decelerated the vertical transport of fertilizer-derived NO3--N to 140–220 cm soil deeper layers by averaging 48.4%, where NO3--N accumulates in large quantities. The percentages of fertilizer-derived NO3--N leached to applied fertilizer N varied from 3.7% to 7.2% after three years of vertical migration. No-tillage with different straw coverages remarkably decreased this leaching percentage by 42.7% and 21.9% compared with RT and NT-0, respectively. Furthermore, we found that no-tillage with straw mulching enhanced fertilizer N utilization efficiency (NUE) and crop yields with NT-33, NT-67, and NT-100 demonstrating higher accumulative NUE of 58.4%, 56.2%, and 58.8% and average yields of 13.90, 13.48, and 13.21 Mg ha−1, respectively. Therefore, we preliminarily suggest that implementing no-tillage and straw mulching with 33% and 100% coverages in Northeast China holds promise for simultaneously enhancing crop yields and NUE, and mitigating N fertilizer leaching in the form of NO3--N. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing field management and mitigating N pollution in agriculture, contributing to the achievement of sustainable agricultural development.

Increased Soil Soluble Nitrogen Stocks and Decreased Nitrogen Leaching Loss in Rice Paddy Soil by Replacing Nitrogen Fertilizer with Chinese Milk Vetch

Reducing soil nitrogen leaching losses and improving nitrogen-use efficiency with effective fertilization management strategies are extremely important for sustainable agricultural development. A 2-year field study was executed with the same nitrogen input in a subtropical rice production system in Southeast China, using chemical fertilizers as a control (CK), to study the influences of different application amounts of Chinese milk vetch (CMV), i.e., 15,000 kg hm−2 (CL), 30,000 kg hm−2 (CM), and 45,000 kg hm−2 (CH), on soil soluble nitrogen stock and leaching risks in a clay paddy field. The results showed that the soil stocks of soluble inorganic nitrogen (SIN) and soluble organic nitrogen (SON) in a 0–60 cm soil profile under different application amounts of CMV significantly increased by 12.43–36.03% and 19.43–71.75% compared with CK, respectively, which was more favorable to soil SON accumulation. In the 2-year experiment, the total dissolved nitrogen leaching loss was 23.51–61.88 kg hm−2 under different application rates of CMV, of which 50.08–62.69% was leached by dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and 37.31–49.92% was leached by dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). CMV application improved soil properties (pH, SOM, and urease/protease), increased SIN and SON stocks, and decreased surface water DIN and DON concentrations, thereby reducing DIN and DON leaching. The leachings of DIN and DON in different application rates of CMV were reduced by 11.37–66.23% and 13.39–52.07% compared with the CK treatment, respectively. Conclusively, nitrogen leaching loss in paddy fields was severe, and the DIN and DON leaching loss in CMV treatments were lower than those in the control under the same nitrogen input. Thus, replacing nitrogen fertilizer with CMV under the same nitrogen input could reduce the risk of nitrogen nonpoint pollution in clay paddy fields.

Research on Tax Policies to Promote Agricultural Modernization Development

Agriculture constitutes a fundamental sector of national economic development, and the steady growth of agriculture-related industries has contributed significantly to job creation and increased value output in the Chinese economy. The central government has consistently prioritized the healthy and sustainable development of agriculture, implementing various policies to support agricultural enterprises in enhancing their market competitiveness. This includes a wide range of tax support measures. On the other hand, the effectiveness of policy incentives in encouraging enterprises to improve their operations is unclear, given that most agricultural enterprises in the country face challenges such as small size, outdated information, weak management capabilities and poor resistance to market risks and uncertainties. This paper aims to examine the role of tax policy in the industrialised management of the agricultural sector. This paper seeks to provide new insights into governance in this area by exploring the moderating role of tax policies on the relationship between Chinese agribusinesses and their management. The findings will provide policy makers with responsible recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of tax policies and other agriculture-related policies.

Sustainable Agriculture Development and Optimum Utilization of Natural Resources: Striking a Balance

There is a finite supply of natural resources, and unchecked exploitation may harm the ecosystem. The strategy for their sustainable use must be determined. The framework of sustainable development is used to define strategies of ongoing societal and state advancement that do not negatively impact the environment or the natural resources that will be needed for future human activities. A model that governs sustainable use takes into account the legal and strategic guidelines for the extraction of energy and natural resources. Ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources both nationally and internationally is the aim. Environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources are closely intertwined. Additionally, a healthy environment's value and the degree to which the public is educated about its preservation are linked to the preservation of the working and living environments. All areas of human endeavour see improvements in quality of life as a result of faster technical development, but increased environmental deterioration is also a potential. Consequently, in order to achieve the objectives of the society's development policy, it is imperative to incorporate the appropriate standards that would support sustainable development. This review paper is a quick response to maintain the ecosystem's equilibrium and the surrounding area.

Status and Development of Agricultural Public-Private Partnership Program Implementation in China

<p>As the initiator of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese Government’s goal in agriculture is to promote the sustainable development of agriculture throughout China and the world. One of the feasible ways to realize this goal is to adopt the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This study aims to analyze the current status of agricultural PPP projects in China and their impacts. This study utilized the Ministry of Finance database to collect 2014 to 2022 data on agricultural PPP projects in China. The collected data were organized and analyzed to analyze the current situation and return mechanism of Chinese agricultural PPP projects. The results show that China’s agricultural PPP projects are less attractive than other sectors, government and social-private sector cooperation is less sustainable, and laws and regulations and risk assessment are not well developed. Therefore, this study proposes to promote the development of agricultural PPP projects by standardizing the law, improving the return mechanism, and strengthening the risk assessment. Thus, it further promotes the sustainable development of agriculture and plays a certain positive role.</p>

Econometric Modeling and Forecasting of Arabica and Robusta Coffee Production for Sustainable Agriculture Development

In the present study, we have used Box-Jenkins approaches an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model (ARIMA) for modeling and forecasting of annual amount of Arabica and Robusta coffee production and yield (ARCPY) in India. In this study used time series data was collected from the official website of the coffee board of India from 1986 to 2023 (38 observations). Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test has used for testing the stationarity of the time series, and the appropriate ARIMA model has selected based on minimum Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). The ARIMA models has compared with the other ARIMA models with respect to forecast accuracy measures, and the residuals has diagnosed for possible presence of autocorrelation, and white noise heteroscedasticity (WNH) test of the fitted models. The MAPE value of ACP and ACY has 8.94 and 9.35 percent respectively shows highly accurate forecasting percentage rate respectively. While, the MAPE value of RCP and RCY has 16.03 and 11.43 percent respectively shows good accurate forecasting percentage rate respectively. Thus, we found the ARIMA (2, 1, 4), (3, 1, 2), (0, 1, 3) and (2, 0, 1) models for Arabica and Robusta coffee; which has observed as the best suitable model for predicting the future annual amount of Arabica coffee production (ACP), Arabica coffee yield (ACY), Robusta coffee production (RCP) and Robusta coffee yield (RCY) respectively, and we have estimated that the annual amount of ACP and ACY achieved in the year 2023-24 from 97379.67 MTs, and 472.29 kg/hectare respectively to 93272.91 MTs, and 379.31 kg/hectare respectively in the year 2034-35 will decrease, and the annual amount of RCP and RCY achieved in the year 2023-24 from 268655.21 MTs, and 1110.68 kg/hectare respectively to 318614.85 MTs, and 1012.90 kg/hectare respectively in the year 2034-35 will reach.

Spatial-temporal Characteristics of Eco-efficiency of Cultivated Land Use in Shannxi Plain, North-west China

Cultivated land plays a crucial role in guaranteeing food security, but the production factor inputs in the cultivated land use can also cause environmental pollution. Assessing the eco-efficiency of cultivated land use (ECLU) has an essential effect on achieving sustainable agricultural development. However, studies of the ECLU have focused on the assessment of large regions and differences due to environmental factors but have lacked the assessment of single production areas. This study utilizes the SBM to measure the ECLU in Shannxi Plain, based on 2011 to 2021 statistics. The results of the study provide a factual basis for the realization of sustainable agricultural development and recommendations for the formulation of policies for sustainable agricultural development.

Measurement, regional differences, and driving factors of high-quality development level of crop seed industry in China

Objective: To promote the development of China’s crop seed industry with high quality, guarantee food security and sustainable agricultural development, scientific design of the evaluation index system for high-quality development of the seed industry and conduct of metric analysis are the keys to promoting the revitalization of the seed industry and the construction of a strong agricultural country. Methods: This paper focused on the high-quality development of China’s crop seed industry as the main research object by combining previous research findings of studies based on the connotation of high-quality development of the crop seed industry and constructed the evaluation index system of high-quality development of China’s crop seed industry which covers five dimensions, namely, innovation-driven development, green and sustained development, coordinated and comprehensive development, opening-up and strengthened development, and share-and-promote development, The Entropy method, Dagum’s Gini coefficient, Kernel’s density estimation, and panel regression methods were used to comprehensively analyze the spatial and temporal evolution, regional differences, and driving factors of the level of high-quality development of the crop seed industry in 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) of China from 2011 to 2020. Conclusions: After systematic analysis, it was concluded that (1) the overall level of high-quality development in China’s crop seed industry has stabilized, and progress has been made. (2) The overall inter-regional differences among the four major regions showed a gradual upward trend, with the inter-regional differences serving as the primary source of the differences and the contribution rate of various inter-regional differences demonstrating an upward trend. (3) Innovation capacity, the cultural and educational level of rural residents, the development of rural infrastructure, national financial support, and market-oriented approach are important factors driving the high-quality development of the crop seed industry in Chinese provinces (districts and municipalities).