ABSTRACT
Mineral fertilizer is an environmental hazard and economic discouraging factor for rice farmers in Cameroon. The objective was to assess the effect of groundnut stover as a substitute to mineral fertilizer on agronomic performance of rainfed upland rice in bimodal HFZ. The experiment was carried out during short raining season (August – December 2015). Two doses of groundnut stover: 1.5 t/ha ± mineral fertilizers and 2.4 t/ha ± mineral fertilizers were used, design in a RCBD (randomized complete block designed) with four replications involving NERICA 8 progeny. Thirteen agronomic traits were collected, analyzed and Pearson’s correlation test was performed at 1% and 5% level of probability. There was an overall increase in rice paddy grain yield in the different treatments except in treatment 1.5 t/ha of groundnut Stover (3.5 t/ha) with the highest grain yield of 5.75 t/ha (SR1+ and SR2). Treatments 1.5 t/ha of groundnut Stover + urea+ NPK; 1.5 t/ha of groundnut Stover; 2.4 t/ha of groundnut Stover + urea+ NPK had the lowest number of tillers/plant. Panicle length (PL) correlates with the following traits: NSR (r = 0.762**); 1000SW (r = 0.463*); FG (r = 0.573**); NGP (r = 0.601**) and GY (r = 0.649**), similarly NSR correlated with GY (r = 0.649**). Panicle length (PL) and secondary ramifications (NSR) are NERICA traits important for an increase in grain yield under incorporated groundnut Stover in humid forest ecology.