Abstract: To reveal the influence mechanism of different cover cropping modes on soil erosion control and water use efficiency of sloping cropland in the black soil zone, four cover cropping modes were set up, namely, no-till chopped straw uniform cover downhill（SM）, no-till cover crop downhill（SC）, no-till chopped pole uniform cover across the slope（CM）, and conventional tillage（CK）. The soil moisture dynamics of sloping arable land in the black soil zone, its water retention and soil fixation capacity as well as its water use efficiency were researched and analyzed. The results show that no-till chopped straw uniform cover downhill（SM）, no-till cover crop downhill（SC）, and no-till chopped pole uniform cover across the slope（CM） have different degrees of effects on increasing soil moisture content, preventing soil erosion, and improving water utilization efficiency. The average soil water content of 0-80 cm different soil layers increases by 9.34%-18.20%, 5.30%-11.54% and 9.12%-19.84% in SM, SC and CM treatments, respectively, compared with that of CK treatment during the whole crop life. Runoff, erosion, rainfall, and maximum 30 min rainfall intensity altogether significantly negatively correlates with water use efficiency. SM, SC and CM treatments improve water use efficiency by 1.18%-10.76% compared to CK treatment. By setting up four different mulching tillage modes, revealing the changing law of soil moisture under different mulching tillage modes, clarifying the soil erosion characteristics of different mulching tillage modes, and analyzing the effects of different mulching tillage modes on the water use efficiency, it is concluded that the no-till chopped pole uniform cover across the slope mode is the most effective in preventing soil erosion, storing and conserving moisture and improving water use efficiency.