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Cotton is major contributor in fiber and edible oil production of Pakistan. However, its growth and development is severely hampered by boron (B) deficiency in semi-arid regions of the country. This experiment was conducted to determine the influence of soil applied B (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 kg B ha(-1)) on the performance of cotton genotypes FH-113, MNH-786 and CIM-496. Boron application significantly improved the boll retention, cotton seed yield, ginning out turn and net economic returns of cotton genotypes. In this regard, soil application at 1.5 kg B ha(-1) was the most effective. Amongst the tested genotypes, FH-113 performed better than others. In conclusion, soil application of B at 1.5 kg ha(-1) was the most cost effective in improving the yield and yield contributing traits of cotton and fetching the maximum net economic returns. (C) 2016 Friends Science Publishers