【Objective】 This study aims to study the effects of drip seedling emergence on soil salt characteristics and cotton growth in cotton field in southern Xinjiang under the condition of no irrigation in winter and spring.【Methods】 Xinluzhong 67 was taken as the test material, three seedling emergence water quantities, 150 m3/hm2 (W1), 300 m3/hm2 (W2) and 450 m3/hm2 (W3) respectively, were set to observe the dynamic changes of soil pH and salt content, cotton seedling emergence rate, agronomic characters, dry matter accumulation characteristics and yield characteristics.【Results】 The pH of topsoil treated with W3, W2 and W1 decreased by 0.57, 0.43 and 0.19, respectively at the seedling stage, and the salt content decreased by 44.19%, 38.70% and 28.72%, respectively, but the salt washing effect decreased gradually after the full bud stage.The emergence rate of W2 treatment was 87.31%, which increased by 11.44 and 5.78 percentage points respectively compared with W3 and W1.The greater the amount of seedling emergence water, the greater the index value of cotton agronomic characters.The plant height and stem diameter of W3 treatment increased by 2.71%, 8.31% and 5.15%, 8.18%, respectively compared with W2 and W1.The average leaf area index (LAI) of W3 treatment increased by 7.57% and 11.46%, respectively compared with W2 and W1.The total dry matter accumulation of shoot treated with W3 increased by 5.55% and 7.75%, respectively compared with W2 and W1.The dry matter distribution coefficient of stem was W1 > W2 > W3, and that of leaf and reproductive organ was W3 > W2 > W1.The amount of seedling emergence water had a certain impact on the number of bolls per plant, but had little impact on the boll weight and lint percentage.The number of bolls per plant, boll weight and lint percentage of W3 treatment were the largest, but the harvested density of W2 treatment was the largest, and the final yield of W2 treatment was the highest, but there was no significant difference with W3 treatment.【Conclusion】 Higher seedling emergence water can significantly reduce the pH value and salt content of soil surface during seedling emergence, promote the growth of cotton plant and the effective accumulation of dry matter, which is conducive to the formation of yield components per plant.However, too much irrigation will affect the seedling emergence rate.The yield is higher when the seedling emergence water of drip irrigation is 300~450 m3/hm2.