The objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of saline water irrigation on soil properties and crop yield. The experiment was carried out in Minqin Desert Control Station, and melon (Cucumis melo), a typical crop in Minqin, was selected and irrigated with saline water of different concentrations, namely 0.8 and 5 g·L^-1, later coded as C08 and C5. The detailed temporal evolution of net soil water deficit under different solute concentrations was simulated by the calibrated and validated numerical model, SWAP (Soil Water Atmosphere and Plant). The experimental results indicate that there is a good correlation between the quantity and quality of irrigation water and the field yield despite that the practical irrigation volume is not in agreement with the potential evapotranspiration (ET0) and the theoretical irrigation volume. The C08 treatment had higher water use efficiency (WUE) than the C5 treatment in all cases. The WUE in the wet year was higher than that in the dry year. The model simulation can provide reliable information of soil properties and crop yield under different irrigation treatments and climate conditions, and the SWAP model can be used to instruct field management in Minqin.