An experiment on effect of cover crops, row proportions and their cutting interval on weed control and soil fertility in chilli was carried out during kharif 1997. Calapagonium cover crop resulted in lower weed dry weight (0.87 g/sq.ft) than other cover crops at 45 DAT of chilli. Also 1:2 row proportion and 45 days cutting interval gave good weed control. The lucerne cover crop produced higher dry biomass (1 1.038 t/ha) and nitrogen addition (269.315 kg/ha). The soil organic carbon was highest with lucerne cover crop (0.740%) compared to other cover crops. Sole chilli without cover crop recorded higher weed dry weight at all stages and lower soil organic carbon after harvest of chilli. The nitrogen uptake by chilli was highest (66.69 kg/ha) with Stylosanthus hamata cover crop. Row proportion of 1: 1 (60.84 kg/ha) and 30 days cutting interval (60.85 kg/ha) resulted in higher nitrogen uptake in chilli. Sole chilli recorded (63.27 kg/ha) higher uptake than all cover crops except S. hamata. Similar trend was observed with phosphorus uptake by chilli.