| Peanut is the main oil commodity in Shandong Province. In order to evaluate the uses of peanut resources, environmental impacts and overall sustainability of peanut production in Shandong Province, an emergy method was applied to assess the emergy indexes of peanut production system. From 2007 to 2011, the total energy input was raised from 4.01×1021 sej to 6.70
×1021 sej, including 83.46% of the non-renewable auxiliary energy. Emergy self-sufficiency ratio, net emergy yield ratio and sustainability indexes became decreased from 0.13, 3.71 and 1.29 to 0.08, 2.17 and 0.36, respectively. Emergy investment ratio, environmental loading ratio were increased from 6.56, 2.88 to 11.53, 5.51, respectively. Emergy per area was increased from 5.07×1011sej·m-2 to 8.41×1011sej·m-2. The results showed that the development of peanut production system in Shandong Province mainly relied on the input from non-renewable industrial auxiliary emergy, while depended subtly on renewable auxiliary emergy input. The system of sustainable development index showed a downward trend. To promote sustainable development of peanut production in Shandong Province, the emergy investment structure should be adjusted and high-tech in peanut production system should be implemented. Also, the renewable organic emergy input should be increased, while the non-renewable industrial auxiliary emergy input should be controlled properly. |