Protecting Your Crop Starts Below the Surface
- The Plant Nutritionist
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
How Myco-Force® Helps Sugarcane Growers Build Healthier Soils and Reduce Pest Pressure
By Aztec Dynamics
Every sugarcane grower understands the damage that canegrubs can cause. Feeding beneath the soil surface, they reduce root mass, weaken stool establishment and ultimately impact yield. While insecticides remain an important management tool, there is growing interest in biological solutions that help reduce pressure from canegrubs through beneficial entomopathogenic fungi, while also contributing to healthier, more resilient soils.
One product gaining attention is Nutri-Tech Solutions' Myco-Force®—a concentrated blend of naturally occurring beneficial fungi designed to support biological pest management while strengthening the soil ecosystem.
Rather than working against nature, Myco-Force works with it.
Three Beneficial Fungi. One Smarter Defense.
Myco-Force contains three naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungi:
Beauveria bassiana
Metarhizium anisopliae
Lecanicillium lecanii
These fungi naturally infect susceptible insect pests through direct contact rather than requiring ingestion. Once established within the soil environment, they become part of the biological community surrounding plant roots, helping reduce pressure from susceptible insect pests while contributing to a healthier soil ecosystem. This mode of action has been extensively documented in entomopathogenic fungi research over the past three decades (Goettel & Inglis, 1997; Vega et al., 2009).
Research published by McGuire and Northfield (2020) identifies Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae as two of the most widely used biological insect control fungi in agriculture, particularly in tropical farming systems where warm temperatures and favourable soil conditions allow them to establish naturally.
Helping Reduce Pressure from Canegrubs
For sugarcane growers, Metarhizium anisopliae is the standout organism. Canegrubs remain one of the industry's most damaging underground pests, feeding directly on sugarcane roots and reducing the plant's ability to take up water and nutrients.
Rather than acting as a chemical knockdown, Metarhizium anisopliae establishes within the soil profile where it can infect susceptible soil-dwelling insect pests as they move through the root zone.
Field research conducted in sugarcane demonstrated that soils inoculated with Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana significantly reduced white grub populations while improving crop productivity, highlighting the role these fungi can play within an integrated pest management program (Kumar et al., 2020). This is why Myco-Force should be viewed as another biological tool that helps reduce pressure from canegrubs through beneficial entomopathogenic fungi, rather than simply another agricultural input.
More Than Just Canegrubs
The three fungal species contained in Myco-Force each contribute differently to biological pest management.
Beauveria bassiana has one of the broadest host ranges of any entomopathogenic fungus, helping reduce pressure from beetles, weevils, caterpillars, aphids and numerous other chewing and sap-sucking insects. Extensive safety and efficacy reviews have shown it provides effective biological insect suppression while maintaining an excellent environmental safety profile (Zimmermann, 2007a).
Lecanicillium lecanii complements this by targeting softer-bodied pests including aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs and scale insects, making Myco-Force equally valuable in orchard systems such as mango, avocado, citrus and macadamia.
Research within mango orchards has demonstrated high mortality of scale insects following applications of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, supporting their role as effective biological tools within integrated orchard pest management programs (Akutse et al., 2019).
Healthy Soil Biology Means Stronger Cane
The real strength of Myco-Force extends beyond insect management. Healthy soils rely on billions of bacteria and fungi working together to recycle nutrients, improve soil structure and support vigorous root systems. The Soil Wealth & Integrated Crop Protection program identifies healthy soil microbiology as being fundamental to:
Organic matter decomposition
Nutrient cycling
Nutrient availability
Improved soil structure
Increased water-holding capacity
Greater root health and stability.
These biological processes underpin long-term soil productivity. Rather than replacing fertiliser, beneficial microbes improve the soil's ability to cycle nutrients, break down crop residues and support healthier root development—all contributing to improved crop resilience.
Building Long-Term Soil Resilience
One of the greatest advantages of biological farming systems is that they continue working beneath the surface long after application. Unlike conventional chemistry, beneficial fungi have the potential to establish within the soil when environmental conditions are favourable.
The Soil Wealth fact sheet explains that increasing organic matter, reducing unnecessary cultivation and maintaining balanced soil nutrition all encourage larger, more active microbial populations. Likewise, excessive or poorly timed fungicide and pesticide applications can reduce beneficial microbial activity, reinforcing the importance of balancing biological and conventional farming practices.
Similarly, Zimmermann's comprehensive reviews of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae concluded that these fungi integrate well into modern IPM systems while presenting minimal risk to non-target organisms and the wider farming environment (Zimmermann, 2007a; Zimmermann, 2007b).
Biology Works Best as Part of a Complete Program
At Aztec Dynamics, we don't believe one product solves every problem. Instead, we build fertiliser and biological programs around real paddock data using soil testing, sap analysis and local agronomic support.
Products such as Myco-Force perform best when combined with balanced nutrition, improved soil carbon, residue management and sound agronomic practices—creating an environment where beneficial fungi can establish and continue supporting soil function over time. This integrated approach aligns with our philosophy of building productive, resilient farming systems through precision agronomy and biological technologies.
Investing in the Biology Beneath Your Crop
Modern sugarcane production is increasingly focused on improving efficiency while protecting the long-term productivity of the soil.
Products like Myco-Force® provide growers with the opportunity to introduce naturally occurring beneficial fungi that help reduce pressure from canegrubs through beneficial entomopathogenic fungi, while supporting healthier soil biology, stronger root systems and improved long-term productivity. Healthy soils don't happen overnight.
They are built through consistent management, balanced nutrition and encouraging the biology that has supported productive farming systems for millions of years.
At Aztec Dynamics, we believe the future of agriculture isn't simply applying more inputs— it's understanding how biology, nutrition and technology work together to produce healthier crops and better long-term returns.
Smarter Nutrition. Healthier Soil. Bigger Yields.
Work wit hthe Aztec Dynamics team to build a tailored nutrition and microbial program for your farm.
Book an on-farm consultation, spray program, or testing service today.
0478 733 668
Based in Australia
References
Akutse, K. S., Fiaboe, K. K. M., Van den Berg, J., Ekesi, S., & Maniania, N. K. (2019). Virulence of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae against scale insect pests of mango. Journal of Economic Entomology.
Goettel, M. S., & Inglis, G. D. (1997). Fungi: Hyphomycetes. In Manual of Techniques in Insect Pathology. Academic Press.
Kumar, R., et al. (2020). Biological control of white grubs in sugarcane by Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science.
McGuire, A. V., & Northfield, T. D. (2020). Tropical occurrence and agricultural importance of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.
Soil Wealth & Integrated Crop Protection. (2021). Fact Sheet: Soil Microbiology – A Guide for Practitioners.
Vega, F. E., et al. (2009). Fungal entomopathogens: New insights on their ecology. Fungal Ecology.
Zimmermann, G. (2007a). Review on safety of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Beauveria brongniartii. Biocontrol Science and Technology.
Zimmermann, G. (2007b). Review on safety of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. Biocontrol Science and Technology.
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