Objective  The aims were to scientifically and reasonably designate cultivated land protection zones with spatial control and guidance according to the difference of cultivated land quality and its spatial characteristics.

  Method  The spatial distribution of cultivated land quality in 133 counties and districts was analyzed by the natural breakpoint method and the spatial autocorrelation method was applied to analyze the spatial aggregation of natural, utilization and economic aspects of cultivated land in Shandong Province, so as to carry out spatial zoning of cultivated land.

  Result  ① The average grades of natural, utilization and economic cultivated land in Shandong Province were 6.67, 8.30 and 9.53 respectively, and the overall quality of cultivated land was good, with the spatial characteristics of "high in the west and low in the east". ② The quality of cultivated land in Shandong Province showed significant spatial clustering characteristics, and the spatial clustering of the natural, utilization and economic grades of cultivated land quality showed an increasing trend. ③ Based on the agricultural location theory and spatial polarization theory, the province's cultivated land was divided into four cultivated land protection zones: core protection zone, comprehensive reconstruction zone, key improvement zone and priority enhancement zone. The corresponding cultivated land protection program was also proposed.

  Conclusion  The spatial variability of cultivated land quality in Shandong Province is significant, and spatial agglomeration characteristics and agricultural location could be used to determine cultivated land protection zoning and protection programs.