Coupling coordination analysis and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the agricultural eco-economic system in the main grain-producing areas of Jilin Province

Jilin is a major agricultural province and an important grain-producing area in China. Under the requirements of ensuring national grain security and green development for regional agriculture, the coordinated development of agricultural ecology and the economy in grain-producing areas is a crucial issue. Sixteen major grain-producing counties in Jilin Province were selected and a comprehensive evaluation index of the agricultural eco-economic system was established to analyze the relationship between the two subsystems in the main grain-producing areas from 2004 to 2018. The study aimed to determine the relationship between agricultural ecology and the economy in the grain-producing areas of Jilin and how to promote high-quality development of the agricultural system according to the local conditions. The results showed that (1) the coupling coordination degree (CCD) in the main grain-producing areas was steadily improved during the study period and was closely related to the impact of agricultural policies; (2) the CCD of the central area was less than that of the west, mainly because the agricultural ecological development lagged far behind the economy; (3) agricultural modernization, environmental protection, and increasing grain added value were important ways to promote CCD development in the grain-producing areas. This study emphasized the importance of the coordinated development of agricultural ecology and the economy and provides an important reference for formulating regionally differentiated development strategies and achieving sustainable agriculture in main grain-producing areas.