The study looked at how freezing and thawing affects soil salinity in cotton fields with long-term drip irrigation in North Xinjiang. By analyzing soil salinity changes in fields with different years of irrigation, researchers found that freezing and thawing helped leach salt from the soil, especially in fields with higher salinity levels. Over 15 years, the amount of salt stored in the soil decreased significantly, showing that natural leaching from freeze-thaw cycles can reduce soil salinity in cotton fields in Northern Xinjiang.