▁one ▁of ▁his ▁models , ▁as ▁Ma ▁led ▁the ▁National ▁Revolution ary ▁Army ' s ▁ 3 6 th ▁Division ▁to ▁recon quer ▁X in ji ang ▁for ▁the ▁National ist ▁government ▁from ▁the ▁pro - S ov iet ▁governor ▁Jin ▁Sh uren ▁during ▁the ▁K um ul ▁Reb ell ion . ▁ ▁While ▁Zu o ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁military ▁ac umen , ▁he ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁key ▁to ▁peace ▁and ▁stability ▁lay ▁in ▁an ▁educated , ▁prosper ous ▁citiz en ry . ▁He ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁himself ▁by ▁his ▁art ▁name , ▁" pe asant ▁from ▁X i ang ", ▁and ▁was ▁keen ly ▁interested ▁in ▁agricult ure . ▁He ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁scientific ▁reform ▁of ▁commercial ▁agricult ure ▁both ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁strength en ▁China ' s ▁economic ▁self - su ff iency ▁and ▁also ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁manage ▁civil ian ▁populations ▁by ▁impro ving ▁their ▁standard ▁of ▁living ▁and ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁kinds ▁of ▁cro ps ▁they ▁grew . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁he ▁spent ▁in ▁north western ▁China , ▁he ▁under to ok ▁extensive ▁agricult ural ▁research ▁on ▁different ▁cro ps ▁and ▁methods . ▁Compar ing ▁the ▁benefits ▁and ▁indic ations ▁of ▁two ▁ancient ▁agricult ural ▁methods , ▁the ▁more ▁established ▁long ▁field , ▁c rop ▁rotation ▁method ▁() ▁and ▁the ▁less ▁common ▁int ensive , ▁small - field ▁method ▁( ), ▁Zu o ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁latter ▁method , ▁cultiv ating ▁small ▁fields ▁of ▁dens ely - pl anted ▁mon oc ult