Technical Abstract: A cotton irrigation study was managed using the BIOTIC protocol with a time threshold of 5.5 h and applying irrigation rates of 2, 4, 6, or 8 mm in response to an irrigation signal. The objective of the study was to measure the irrigation frequency and amount that results from using a fixed time-threshold to generate irrigation signals and applying variable quantities of water in response to irrigation signals. Irrigation was initiated during the squaring growth stage and was terminated in each treatment when boll maturity reached 40%. The average time between irrigations was 1.4, 1.6, 2.2, and 2.2 d for irrigation rates of 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm, respectively. Cumulative irrigation was positively related to irrigation rate. Daily stress time (DST) was calculated as the amount of time each day when the canopy temperature > 28°C. Average DST declined linearly as irrigation rate increased. Leaf water potential was statistically different among all irrigation rate treatments with higher values occurring in the higher irrigation rate treatments. Leaf area index at first bloom was ~ 1.5 in the 2 mm treatment and 1.9, 2.0, and 2.2 in the 4 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm treatments, respectively. Lint yield increased linearly up to a cumulative irrigation of 9.0 in, which was applied by the 6-mm irrigation rate, the highest rate that remained in the deficit irrigation region. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) declined in a curvilinear manner with increasing irrigation amounts from 4.0 to 12.0 inches.