Introduction In arid regions with scarce water resources, water shortage constrains cotton production. "Dry sowing and wet emergence," as a water-saving technique, promotes seed emergence by locally moistening the soil, but its application in saline-alkali areas is limited by unclear water-salt distribution patterns. This study hypothesized that optimized irrigation strategies could improve soil water-salt distribution and enhance emergence rates.Methods To test this hypothesis, this study conducted a two-year (2024 and 2025) split-plot field experiment in the arid region of Xinjiang. The main plots were irrigation frequency: P1 (single drip irrigation on the first day after sowing) versus P2 (two drip irrigations on the first and eighth days after sowing); The subplots varied total irrigation volume: W1 (15 mm), W2 (30 mm), and W3 (45 mm). Irrigation was applied as a single application in P1 and divided equally into two applications in P2. The study examined the relationship between seedling-stage soil moisture content, salinity, uniformity of water-salt distribution, desalination rate, and emergence outcomes.Results Two years of research indicate: Under identical irrigation frequencies, the W3 treatment increased soil moisture content in the 0-20 cm soil layer by 5.43% and 3.78% compared to W1 and W2, respectively. Water distribution uniformity improved, while salt content decreased by 4.76% and 11.28%, resulting in corresponding desalination rate increases of 25.02% and 7.67%. Under identical irrigation volumes, the P2 treatment exhibited a 7.42% higher soil moisture content in the 0-20 cm layer than the P1 treatment at 12 days post-sowing, with a 3.45% reduction in salinity and a 14.39% increase in emergence rate. Under synergistic regulation, the P2W2 treatment demonstrated the most optimal comprehensive performance. Compared to other treatments, it improved water uniformity by 1.05-6.28%, increased desalination rates by 15.62-32.27%, and boosted emergence rates by 5.79-13.91%. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between emergence rate and moisture uniformity (R2 = 0.83) and a significant negative correlation with salinity uniformity (R & sup2;=0.82). Based on these relationships, this study established critical water-salt thresholds for ensuring emergence: maintaining soil moisture content between 18.36% and 19.82% in the 0-20 cm soil layer and keeping soil salinity below 3.65 g/kg ensures a stable emergence rate above 85%.Discussion In summary, optimizing irrigation strategies (applying 15 mm of water on both the first and eighth days after sowing) improved soil water-salt distribution in the 0-20 cm soil layer by enhancing water retention capacity and promoting salt leaching, thereby increasing cotton emergence rates. This study provides theoretical and practical foundations for water-saving irrigation and water-salt regulation in cotton fields in southern Xinjiang.