Trichoderma for Sugarcane: Natural Biofungicide for Sett Rot, Root Rot Control & Higher Cane Yield

Trichoderma for Sugarcane: Natural Biofungicide for Sett Rot, Root Rot Control & Higher Cane Yield

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum and commercial hybrids) is one of the world's most important commercial crops cultivated for sugar, jaggery, ethanol, biofuel, molasses, and industrial processing. High-yield sugarcane production depends on healthy setts, vigorous root development, efficient nutrient uptake, strong tillering, and healthy cane growth. Soil-borne fungal diseases such as sett rot, root rot, wilt, pineapple disease, and seedling blight can significantly reduce germination, cane population, sugar recovery, and final yield.

Trichoderma is a beneficial fungal biofungicide that naturally protects sugarcane setts and roots against harmful pathogens while improving soil microbial activity and stimulating vigorous root development. Species including Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma asperellum, and Trichoderma koningii colonize the rhizosphere, suppress disease-causing fungi, improve nutrient availability, and promote healthy crop growth throughout the growing season.

Unlike conventional fungicides that provide only temporary disease suppression, Trichoderma establishes a beneficial microbial ecosystem around the root zone, providing season-long biological protection while improving soil fertility and supporting sustainable sugarcane cultivation.

Benefits of Trichoderma in Sugarcane

  • Promotes rapid sett germination.
  • Suppresses sett rot and root rot pathogens.
  • Improves root development and root biomass.
  • Enhances nutrient and water uptake.
  • Encourages vigorous tillering.
  • Improves cane girth and cane height.
  • Increases internode length and cane weight.
  • Improves sucrose accumulation and sugar recovery.
  • Enhances ratoon crop establishment and vigor.
  • Increases tolerance to drought and environmental stress.
  • Improves beneficial microbial activity in the rhizosphere.
  • Reduces dependence on chemical fungicides.
  • Improves long-term soil fertility.
  • Supports sustainable and organic sugarcane cultivation.

Diseases Managed

Trichoderma helps suppress several economically important soil-borne diseases affecting sugarcane, including:

  • Sett Rot
  • Root Rot
  • Pineapple Disease (Ceratocystis paradoxa)
  • Wilt (Fusarium spp.)
  • Collar Rot
  • Rhizoctonia Root Rot
  • Pythium Root Rot
  • Seedling Blight
  • Damping-off
  • Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina phaseolina)

Note: Trichoderma is highly effective against soil-borne fungal diseases and is widely used as a sett treatment. Diseases such as red rot (Colletotrichum falcatum), smut, grassy shoot disease, and pokkah boeng require integrated disease management strategies in addition to biological protection.

Mode of Action

Trichoderma protects sugarcane plants through multiple biological mechanisms:

  • Rapidly colonizes the sett surface and rhizosphere before pathogens establish.
  • Competes with harmful fungi for nutrients and space.
  • Produces enzymes such as chitinase, glucanase, and cellulase that degrade fungal cell walls.
  • Releases natural antifungal metabolites that inhibit pathogen growth.
  • Directly parasitizes disease-causing fungi through mycoparasitism.
  • Activates the plant's natural defense system (Induced Systemic Resistance).
  • Stimulates root growth and feeder root development.
  • Improves soil microbial diversity and nutrient availability.

These biological activities provide season-long disease protection while promoting vigorous cane growth and higher sugar production.

Recommended Application

Sett Treatment

Prepare a suspension using 10–15 g of Trichoderma powder per litre of water. Dip sugarcane setts for 20–30 minutes before planting and allow them to drain in shade.

Soil Application

Apply 2–4 kg of Trichoderma per acre mixed thoroughly with 100 kg of well-decomposed farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost, or press mud compost before planting or during earthing-up.

Furrow Application

Apply Trichoderma-enriched compost directly into planting furrows before placing the setts.

Drip Irrigation

Apply compatible liquid Trichoderma formulations through drip irrigation according to the manufacturer's recommended dose during active crop growth.

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