A single-nucleus multiomic study of preoptic area cells in prepubertal control vs prenatally androgenized female mice.

With the intensification of protected agriculture, soil salinization has become a critical constraint on sustainable vegetable production, while the increasing frequency of short-term waterlogging events further exacerbates growth limitations of crops cultivated in saline soils. Soil salinization is a land degradation process caused by excessive accumulation of soluble salts in soil, which deteriorates soil physicochemical properties, disrupts ionic balance, and reduces nutrient availability, thereby inhibiting normal crop growth [,]. Salt accumulation can disrupt soil aggregate structure, decrease soil porosity, and reduce water infiltration capacity, thereby increasing the risk of waterlogging under short-term rainfall or excessive irrigation conditions. Short-term waterlogging caused by excessive rainfall or irrigation can further alter the rhizosphere oxygen environment and nutrient migration processes, disrupt soil aggregate stability, reduce soil aeration, and induce anaerobic conditions. These anaerobic conditions promote the reduction of iron, manganese, and other elements to toxic forms and facilitate the accumulation of reducing agents, such as organic acids and hydrogen sulfide []. Consequently, root respiration and nutrient absorption are inhibited, ultimately giving rise to hindered crop growth and reduced yield. Previous studies have demonstrated that waterlogging disasters have become a major abiotic stressor affecting crop yield and quality in global agricultural production. Waterlogging and soil salinization caused by improper irrigation will significantly reduce the production potential of the agricultural system, and the economic loss in some regions can exceed 30% []. Pepper is one of the most economically important vegetable crops in China, and its planting area has been stable at over 2 million hm for a long time. As one of the vegetables with the largest planting area in China [], it plays an important role in human nutrition, food processing, and rural economic development []. With the rapid development of protected agriculture, pepper production has increasingly concentrated in protected cultivation systems, including greenhouses and plastic tunnels. In protected cultivation systems, frequent irrigation, continuous soil utilization, and limited drainage conditions often result in persistent accumulation of soil salts and water, thereby increasing the risk of short-term waterlogging events []. In addition, the root system of pepper is shallow and extremely sensitive to soil hypoxia. Waterlogging conditions will lead to slow growth of pepper plants, falling flowers and fruits, and increased disease occurrence, which triggers a significant decrease in yield and quality []. Therefore, investigating the growth and physiological responses of pepper under short-term waterlogging conditions in saline soils and identifying effective agricultural management strategies are essential for alleviating waterlogging stress and improving pepper yield and quality. Applying soil amendments is an important agronomic practice for improving the physicochemical properties of saline soils and alleviating waterlogging stress. In recent years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that different functional materials can effectively promote plant growth and enhance stress tolerance by improving soil environments and regulating plant physiological processes []. However, in saline agricultural soils, salt accumulation is often accompanied by soil structural degradation and restricted water–salt transport, while short-term waterlogging further reduces oxygen supply in the root zone and intensifies ionic imbalance and oxidative stress. Moreover, soil water saturation restricts oxygen diffusion, resulting in alterations in redox conditions [], which further affect soil ion migration, nutrient availability, and the stability of the root-zone environment [].