The factors of low basic soil fertility, poor soil structure and low fertilizer utilization rate seriously affect the growth and yield of drip irrigation cotton in Xinjiang arid region. Xinjiang is rich in cotton straw resources, straw returning to the field is helpful to improve soil physical structure and chemical properties, so as to improve soil fertility. Based on the rational utilization of cotton straw resources, this study studied the effects of different amounts of cotton straw returning on soil physicochemical properties, nitrate nitrogen leaching, nutrient invertase activity and cotton growth, providing certain theoretical basis for soil fertilizer cultivation and agricultural sustainable development in drip irrigation cotton fields in arid areas. Four treatments were set up: no returning (CK), half returning of cotton straw (50%ST), full returning of cotton straw (100%ST) and double returning of cotton straw (200%ST). The proportion of large aggregates in soil was significantly increased by differ