Exploring the path to achieve sustainable agricultural development: An empirical analysis based on the modernization of agriculture in six central China provinces

Agricultural modernization is an important component of sustainable development. This study uses panel data from six central provinces in China to measure the level of agricultural modernization from 2012 to 2021 using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method, kernel density estimation method, and Markov chain method. The results show that the level of agricultural modernization in central provinces has generally increased, with a distribution pattern of "low in high latitudes, high in middle dimensions, and low in low latitudes." The kernel density estimation indicates regional differences in agricultural modernization within the central provinces. Although the absolute differences among central provinces are dynamically changing, the overall trend is decreasing, and the polarization trend is gradually weakening. It is challenging for central provinces to achieve leap-forward development in agricultural modernization within a short period. The level of agricultural modernization in central provinces has significant spatial dependence characteristics, and neighboring provinces with higher levels can better promote the level of agricultural modernization in the province.