In order to achieve rural revitalization,it is desirable to promote the construction of intelligent agriculture and improve the agricultural production efficiency. Based on the data of the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of Internet application on agricultural production efficiency and explores its mechanism. The research results show that Internet application can significantly promote the agricultural production efficiency, which still holds after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that farmers’ use of the Internet can accelerate the applications of emerging agricultural technologies, optimize allocation of land resources and strengthen social network relations, thereby enhancing agricultural production efficiency. The heterogeneity analysis finds that this promotion effect is more significant in rural areas, contiguous extremely poverty-stricken areas and the areas in the west of Heihe-Tengchong Line. Finally, the further discussions demonstrate that the improved agricultural productivity brought by the application of the Internet can help strengthen poverty alleviation outcomes, increase the household income, upgrade farmers’ consumption demands and boost their happiness, thus accelerating the development of rural revitalization.