Marx's thought of rational agriculture is an important part of his theory of ground rent.Marx ad-hered to scientific dialectics.On the one hand,he acknowledged the historical progress of capitalist agricul-ture,which enabled the transformation of the management methods that were solely based on experience in the agricultural society into conscious scientific applications of agronomy.On the other hand,he deeply analyzed the limitations and boundaries of capitalist agriculture in terms of separation and monopoly of land ownership,extensive use of land and destruction of land fertility,deprivation and exclusion of small land ownership,and distortion of price and value systems.With the socialist market economy,China should absorb clues from Marx's thought of rational agriculture in the development of modern agriculture.These clues include abolishing the monopoly of land ownership,implementing intensive cultivation,improving land fertility,giving play to the role of small farmers,and relying on planned alliances for regulation.The reform of the separation of owner-ship,contracting rights,and management rights of agricultural land should be deepened.Measures should be taken to transform the extensive farming into intensive farming,maintain the red line of farmland,improve the quality of farmland,achieve connection with small farmers,and ensure the security and stability of the indus-trial chains and supply chains of agricultural products.