This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of rice cover crop cropping systems on rice root growth in a rice field as affected by conventional tillage without rice straw or green manure crop treatment (CTFS, check plot), no-tillage without cover crops (NTNT), no-tillage amended with rape (NTRA), no-tillage amended with rye (NTRY), no-tillage amended with hairyvetch (NTHV), and no-tillage amended with Chinese milk vetch (NTCM). In 0-5 cm soil depth, dry weight of root in NTRS (128 g m<sup>-2</sup>) was significantly higher than in the other plots (p<0.05) at harvesting stage. In addition, content of active organic matter at 0-5 cm soil depth was 1,684 g m<sup>-2</sup> in NTCM, 1,309 g m<sup>-2</sup> in NTRA, 1,295 g m<sup>-2</sup> in NTRS, 1,072 g m<sup>-2</sup> in NTRY, 917 g m<sup>-2</sup> in NTHV, 434 g m<sup>-2</sup> CTFS, and 426 g m<sup>-2</sup> in NTNT treatment. In no-tillage rice cover crop cropping system, our findings suggest that NTRS and NTCM should be enhanced root growth and active organic matter in paddy field.