Abstract: Based on relevant data from 16 prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province from 2012 to 2021,firstly, an agricultural digital development level indicator system was constructed,secondly, the entropy weight method was used to effectively measure the agricultural digital development level of prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province,finally, the dynamic evolution characteristics, spatial clustering characteristics, regional differences, and sources of the agricultural digital development level in Shandong Province were analyzed through non parametric kernel density estimation, Moran's I, and Dagum Gini coefficient. The results showed that the agricultural digital development level of 16 prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province was imbalanced, and the polarization problem of the agricultural digital development level in the provincial capital economic circle was more serious. The Jiaodong economic circle showed a multipolar trend, while the Lunan economic circle tended to be average;the overall agricultural digital development level in Shandong Province exhibited spatial agglomeration characteristics of “high-high” combination and “low-high” combination;the differential contribution rate of the agricultural digital development level in Shandong Province was ranked from large to small among economic circles, super variable density, and within the economic circle.Therefore, measures such as developing characteristic agriculture, adapting to local conditions, improving digital infrastructure, technology assistance to agriculture, extending the agricultural industry chain, increasing commercialization rates, strengthening regional cooperation, and narrowing disparities could be taken to improve the agricultural digital development level of Shandong Province.

Key words: agricultural digital development level, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics, regional differences, non parametric kernel density estimation, Dagum Gini coefficient, Moran's I, Shandong Province