This study investigated how salicylic acid (SA) mediates the response of melon (Cucumis melo) seeds to salt stress using physiological and transcriptomic methods. The effects of SA on the antioxidant enzymes, osmoregulatory substances, and transcriptome of melon seeds under salt stress were investigated using sodium chloride (NaCl, 100 mmol·L⁻¹) as the stress stimulant and SA + NaCl (0.25 mmol·L⁻¹ + 100 mmol·L⁻¹) as the alleviation treatment. The results showed that SA positively influences salt tolerance by increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) and catalase activity (CAT) while decreasing proline content (Pro). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by transcriptome data analysis, of which 2958 were up-regulated, and 2157 were down-regulated. These genes were mainly involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and plant hormone signal transduction, lipid metabolism (linoleic and α-linolenic fatty acid metabolism), biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (phenylpropanoid pathway and flavonoid biosynthesis), and related pathways. Further analysis revealed that SA might alleviate salt stress by initiating a series of signaling pathways under salt stress, participating in lignin biosynthesis to improve cell wall stability, and positively regulating lipoxygenase (LOX) genes. These results provide valuable information and new strategies for future salt resistance cultivation and high melon yield.

Tillage practices significantly influence crop yield and soil quality. This study investigated the impact of rotary tillage (RT) and deep tillage (DT) on soil properties, microbial diversity, and melon (Cucumis melo L.) root growth and yield. RT involved breaking up the topsoil to a depth of 15 cm using a rotary tiller, while DT employed a rotary tiller followed by a moldboard plow to turn the soil layer over to a depth of 35 cm. The melon variety “Nasimi” was used as the material. Our findings revealed a remarkable response of soil phosphorus to tillage practices. High-throughput sequencing results revealed a significant impact of tillage practices on the soil fungal composition, richness, and diversity but little impact on the bacterial communities. Compared to RT, DT markedly enhanced melon root length, root surface area, root volume, and mean root diameter by 47.42%, 56.70%, 58.83%, and 27.28%, respectively. Additionally, DT treatments significantly increased melon yield (53.46%) compared to RT. The results indicate that DT improves soil nutrient availability, affects soil fungal community characteristics, and optimizes root distribution in soil, thereby improving melon yield. The findings offer valuable theoretical insights for the implementation of effective tillage practices in open-field melon cultivation.