Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is a key crop in Kazakhstan, yet its productivity is constrained by saline-alkaline soils, which affect approximately 41% of the nation’s arable land. Conventional soil remediation methods are often unsustainable and economically impractical. This study investigates the potential of Bacillus megaterium PEF-1, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) isolated from cotton rhizospheres in the Turkestan region, as a biofertilizer for saline-alkaline conditions. The strain demonstrated high tolerance to salinity (up to 10% NaCl), alkalinity (pH 9.0), and heavy metals, and produced significant levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA; 895 mg/L in vitro). Field trials with seed inoculation (10⁹ CFU/mL) showed marked improvements in cotton growth, including increases in plant height (18%), boll number (22%), and yield (25%) relative to controls. Soil analyses revealed enhanced nutrient availability in treated plots: nitrogen (+ 4.3%), phosphorus (+ 15.1%), potassium (+ 26.8%), and humus content (+ 29.3%). Stress mitigation was achieved through ACC deaminase-mediated ethylene reduction and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-driven reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. Acute toxicity tests, conducted in accordance with OECD guidelines, confirmed the strain’s biosafety with no adverse effects in mammalian models. Bacillus megaterium PEF-1 exhibits strong potential as a sustainable biofertilizer for improving cotton yields and soil fertility under saline-alkaline stress. Its capacity for nutrient mobilization, phytohormone synthesis, and abiotic stress alleviation aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (Zero Hunger) and 15 (Life on Land), offering a scalable, eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers for arid and degraded agroecosystems.

The vegetation cover of arid ecosystems in the territory of uranium mines of NAC Kazatomprom JSC and adjacent territories (Ashchykol Depression, Betpak-Dala) is affected by both anthropogenic and technogenic factors. Anthropogenic, technogenic impact on vegetation and soil cover led to a significant reduction in species diversity and an increase in the proportion of weeds. The activity indicator of species is an important parameter of environmental monitoring and the effectiveness of recultivation. Some of the promising objects of recultivation are Haloxylon aphyllum, Calligonum aphyllum, which are widespread in the study area and tolerate not only anthropogenic but also technogenic impacts.

The aim of the present research is the isolation and morphological and molecular–phenological identification of nematophagous fungi of Southern Kazakhstan for the production of effective bionematicides on their basis. Nematophagous fungi, which include nematode-trapping, ovicidal, endoparasitic, toxin-producing, and special substance-producing fungi, are among the most effective biological agents in controlling phytoparasitic nematodes. To isolate and characterize nematophagous fungi, soil samples were collected at 12 sites in three regions of Southern Kazakhstan. The samples were collected using the envelope method. The content of nematophagous fungi in the samples was determined using the standard surface sowing technique. The obtained strains of nematophagous fungi were identified. The attractive and nematophagous activity of the obtained fungal strains was determined by using standard methods. In experiments on the isolation and morphological identification of nematophagous fungi, the nematode species Meloidogyne incognita was used. Identification of the strains was carried out by the method of determining the direct nucleotide sequence of the region of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, followed by determination of nucleotide identity with sequences deposited in the international GeneBank database. As a result, the following species of nematophagous fungi living in the soils of agricultural lands in Southern Kazakhstan were identified: Orbilia oligospora, Duddingtonia flagrans, Orbilia oligospora, and Arthrobotrys superba.