Effects of six planting patterns on cotton soil water-salt movement, seedling rate, leaf area index, yield and fiber quality under irrigation before sowing with 5g/L brackish water were studied by plot comparative trial. The planting patterns were respectively seeding raising and soil-substrate transplanting with plastic mulching, seeding raising in sand and root-naked transplanting with plastic mulching, seeding raising and soil-substrate transplanting without plastic mulching, seeding raising in sand and root-naked transplanting without plastic mulching, and bunch planting without plastic mulching. The results showed that salt stress towards cotton was reduced by applying plastic film mulching to decrease soil evaporation, improve soil temperature as well as inhibit salt accumulation in surface. Under the film mulching conditions, the cotton seedling rate, leaf area index before blossoming and boll forming stage, pre-frost yield and yield were higher than that without plastic mulching. Fiber quality was also improved. The techniques of seeding raising and soil-substrate transplanting and seeding raising in sand and root-naked transplanting showed a good yield-increasing potential. Especially during the successive overcast days in the middle-late stages of cotton (in 2011), the yield of seedling transplantation cotton was greatly improved. 