Context: Mulched drip irrigation is an effective water-saving technique widely used in arid oasis regions, significantly enhancing crop yield and quality. However, its long-term application can lead to soil compaction and hypoxia in crop roots, which can adversely affect plant growth and yield. Objective: This study aimed to clarify the differences in oxygenation methods throughout the growth period of cotton and reveal the pathway of oxygenation during cotton development. Methods: To address these issues, the current study investigated the effects of three oxygenation methods mechanical, Venturi, and chemical and four chemical oxygen concentrations (9.2, 13.3, 17.3, and 25.5 mg L-1) on the growth, photosynthesis, fluorescence, yield, quality and elucidate its action pathways through underlying physiological mechanisms that influence variations in yield and quality. Results: The results showed oxygenation treatments improved cotton growth, photosynthetic performance, and fluorescence performance compared to non-aerated controls. The treatment with the highest oxygen concentration (CO25.5) achieved the most substantial improvements in single boll weight (SBW, 11.29 %-13.32 %), seed cotton yield (SCY, 4 %-6.7 %), fibre length (FL, 4.3 %-5.8 %), and uniformity index (UI, 4.9 %-5 %). It also attained the highest comprehensive evaluation score (2.46), making it the most effective option overall. Increasing oxygen concentration can have a direct positive impact on photosynthetic performance and fluorescence, thereby contributing to the growth, yield, and quality of cotton. The lowest concentration (CO9.2) demonstrated better efficiency in enhancing SBW, SCY, FL and UI per unit increase in oxygen compared to the control under the condition of a unit oxygen concentration. The study observed minimal differences (<6.4 %) among the three oxygenation methods, indicating that concentration plays a more critical role than the method itself. Conclusions: These findings provide a suitable method for oxygen addition to cotton in the arid oasis region of Northwest China, which is of great significance for the efficient water-saving and green sustainable development of local agriculture, as well as for improving the yield and quality of cotton.