Hevein-like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) comprise a family of plant AMPs with antifungal activity, which harbor a chitin-binding site involved in interactions with chitin of fungal cell walls. However, the mode of action of hevein-like AMPs remains poorly understood. This work reports the structure–function relationship in WAMPs—hevein-like AMPs found in wheat (Triticum kiharae Dorof. et Migush.) and later in other Poaceae species. The effect of WAMP homologues differing at position 34 and the antifungal activity of peptide fragments derived from the central, N- and C-terminal regions of one of the WAMPs, namely WAMP-2, on spore germination of different plant pathogenic fungi were studied. Additionally, the ability of WAMP-2-derived peptides to potentiate the fungicidal effect of tebuconazole, one of the triazole fungicides, towards five cereal-damaging fungi was explored in vitro by co-application of WAMP-2 fragments with Folicur^® EC 250 (25% tebuconazole). The antifungal activity of WAMP homologues and WAMP-2-derived peptides varied depending on the fungus, suggesting multiple modes of action for WAMPs against diverse pathogens. Folicur^® combined with the WAMP-2 fragments inhibited the spore germination at a much greater level than the fungicide alone, and the type of interactions was either synergistic or additive, depending on the target fungus and concentration combinations of the compounds. The combinations, which resulted in synergism and drastically enhanced the sensitivity to tebuconazole, were revealed for all five fungi by a checkerboard assay. The ability to synergistically interact with a fungicide and exacerbate the sensitivity of plant pathogenic fungi to a commercial antifungal agent is a novel and previously uninvestigated property of hevein-like AMPs.

The article is devoted to the study of melted ingots, plates rolled from them, and the resulting spherical powder made of corrosion-resistant 316L steel with the addition of 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag. The study of antibacterial properties, microstructure, and distribution of silver concentrations, as well as qualitative analysis of silver content was carried out. The optimal mode of homogenization annealing of the ingot was 1050 °C for 9 h, which leads to the formation of an austenitic structure. It is shown that the addition of a small amount of silver does not affect the formation of the austenitic structure and silver is distributed evenly throughout the volume of the ingot. The austenitic structure also prevails in the plates after rolling. Silver is distributed evenly throughout the entire volume of the plate. It is noted that the addition of 0.2 wt.% Ag does not affect the strength, elongation, and microhardness of steel, and the addition of 0.5 wt.% Ag does not significantly reduce the strength of steel, however, all samples meet the mechanical characteristics according to the ASTM A240 standard. The qualitative chemical composition of samples made of corrosion-resistant steels was confirmed by X-ray fluorescence analysis methods. By the method of energy-dispersion analysis, the presence of a uniform distribution of silver over the entire volume of the powder particle was determined. The particles have a spherical shape with a minimum number of defects. The study of the antibacterial activity of plates and powder shows the presence of a clear antibacterial effect (bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas marginalis, Clavibacter michiganensis) in samples No. 2 and No. 3 with the addition of 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag.

Cyanobacteria are gaining significant importance as potential biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic fungi. We evaluated the inhibitory effects of a suspension of Nostoc sp. BCAC 1226 on Penicillium sp., Phytophthora sp., and Stemphylium sp. in vitro using potato dextrose agar medium. On the 7th day of incubation, Phytophthora sp. showed a reduction in colony area from 18.30 ± 1.68 to 8.55 ± 0.74 cm² (53.6% inhibition). Similarly, Penicillium sp. showed a reduction from 17.64 ± 1.46 to 8.90 ± 0.36 cm² (49.4% inhibition), and Stemphylium sp. showed a reduction from 17.76 ± 1.28 to 13.5 ± 0.73 cm² (23.7% inhibition). The inhibitory effects were more significant on the 14th day, with the growth of Phytophthora sp. further reduced to 4.9 ± 0.40 cm² (72.8% inhibition), Penicillium sp. to 5.54 ± 0.32 cm² (68.8% inhibition), and Stemphylium sp. to 8.71 ± 0.31 cm² (50.8% inhibition). These results indicate the potential antifungal activity of Nostoc sp. suspension, with the highest reduction observed in Phytophthora sp., followed by Penicillium sp. and Stemphylium sp. Future research should focus on the chemical characterization of the antifungal metabolites produced by Nostoc sp. BCAC 1226 and in vivo evaluations on economically important crops to evaluate their practical efficiency under field conditions.

As objects for reforestation, the least studied are carbonate substrates, which have a number of specific features in terms of mineral composition, the exchange of nutrients, and biological activity. The use of biological preparations of a consortium of bacteria of the genus Bacillus and mycorrhizal fungi of the genus Glomus in growing seedlings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on carbonate substrates provides the metabolic products; soluble and microelement salts function as catalysts for chemical reactions of exudates and soil products; and a greater amount of plant heavy metals (HM) Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb accumulate in the soil. Among HMs, the random factors most strongly determined an accumulation of Cd (the influence rate of random factors h²_x = 34.6%) and Pb (the influence rate of random factors h²_x = 21.7%) in the plants. A trend of all studied HMs higher uptake by the Cretaceous pine (Pinus sylvestris var. cretacea (Kalen.) Kom.) in comparison with the P. sylvestris ecotype is revealed. Against the biological preparation background of Biogor KM and MycoCrop^®, a greater value of the HM’s biological absorption in comparison with the option without biological preparations is noted. This process occurs against a background of a significant increase in the nitrification capacity in the chalk fine-grained substrate (soil aggregates < 1 mm in size), which is an indirect indicator of an increased intensity of microbiological processes. Spearman’s correlation was noted between the coefficient of accumulation of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the dry matter of Scots pine (P. sylvestris) seedlings and the nitrification capacity of substrate (r_s = 0.610–0.744, p < 0.05), as well as the relationship between the nitrification capacity index of substrate and the coefficient of biological absorption of copper, zinc, and cadmium (r_s = 0.543–0.765, p < 0.05). No relationship was found between the coefficient of biological absorption of lead and other soil chemical property indicators. HM absorption by plants was random. No correlations have been established between an accumulation of HMs and a content of total nitrogen, an absolute value of nitrate nitrogen, a humus content, or a pH. The significance of the work is the possibility of providing reliable reforestation with Scots pine (P. sylvestris) and Cretaceous pine (P. sylvestris var. cretacea) on the chalk outcrops using the biological preparations Biogor KM, MycoCrop^®, and BGT* methodology and ensuring soil phytoremediation from HMs.

The structures and mechanical properties of a new alloyed (0.2 wt % Ag and 0.5 wt % Ti) corrosion-resistant steel 03Kh17N10M2 (0.023 C–17 Cr–10 Ni) were studied. The structure was studied by light optical microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The mechanical properties were studied by stretching the samples on a tensile testing machine according to GOST 1497-84. The effect of homogenizing annealing and ingot rolling on the structure of alloyed corrosion-resistant steel is shown. Plates after rolling have a fine-grained structure. Normalization at 900°C and 1000°C reduces the proportion of ferrite in the structure, reduces the anisotropy of mechanical properties, and increases the steel ductility.