Objective In response to the current focus of agricultural eco-efficiency studies mostly on national or provincial scales and the lack of a watershed perspective, this study took the Fenhe River Basin, an important grain-producing region within the Yellow River Basin, as its object. It aimed to reveal the spatiotemporal differentiation patterns and driving mechanisms of agricultural eco-efficiency there, providing a scientific basis for addressing the dilemma of concurrent efficiency enhancement and regional imbalances. Methods Agricultural eco-efficiency at the county scale in the Fenhe River Basin from 2011 to 2022 was measured using the undesirable non-radial SE-SBM model. The spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics and influencing factors were analyzed using the coefficient of variation, Dagum Gini coefficient, global trend analysis, and Global Moran’s I. Results (1) Agricultural eco-efficiency in the Fenhe River Basin improved significantly but exhibited regional disparities. While the basin-wide mean efficiency surged by 110.9%, the Gini coefficient increased from 0.299 to 0.332, indicating widening regional gaps. Spatially, agricultural eco-efficiency followed a “midstream>downstream>upstream” distribution pattern. The Taiyuan Basin formed a high-efficiency core, whereas the western mountainous areas remained persistently inefficient, intensifying the core-periphery divergence. (2) The driving mechanism of agricultural eco-efficiency in the Fenhe River Basin shifted from an 'input-intensive monocentric model' (2011-2019) to 'economic-resource coordinated optimization' (2019-2022). (3) The spatial correlation of agricultural eco-efficiency weakened substantially, declining from a highly clustered pattern (Moran’s I=0.3226 in 2015,P<0.001) to statistical insignificance (Moran’s I = 0.046 1 in 2022, P=0.503 4). Conclusion To address regional imbalances in agricultural eco-efficiency across the Fenhe River Basin, systematic interventions were imperative. These included implementing a 'terrace renovation-micro-machinery' adaptive system in western mountainous areas to mitigate terrain constraints, establishing a closed-loop 'scale operation-income feedback' mechanism to revitalize traditional agricultural regions, and leveraging a digital watershed platform to monitor ecological element flows while creating a regional mutual-aid fund to enhance systemic resilience. This framework provided theoretical insights and practical pathways for sustainable agricultural development in river basins.
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