Green manure crops are primarily used to reduce the application of chemical fertilizers. In this study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of green manure hairy vetch on rice growth and saving of irrigation water. This experiment was conducted at Sinheung series (fine loamy, mixed, nonacid, mesic family of Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts) from 2008 to 2009 at the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA, Suwon, Gyeonggi province, Korea. Hairy vetch as a green manure crop was incorporated in soil for rice cultivation. Chemical fertilizers had not been applied to hairy vetch plot. Treatments included once irrigation (OI) per week and conventional irrigation (CI). In 2008, the water use efficiency of OI increased by 46% compared to CI by hairy vetch application during rice cultivation season (water treatments were started 38 days after rice transplanting). In 2009, the water use efficiency of OI increased by 61.3% compared to CI by hairy vetch application during rice cultivation season (water treatments were started 30 days after rice transplanting). Soil physical properties such as bulk density, soil porosity ratio and glomalin contents were improved by the incorporation of hairy vetch. The rice yield of OI water management was not significantly different from those of CI water management by hairy vetch application both years. These results suggest that the OI water management with hairy vetch incorporated in soil for rice cultivation can be used in rice fields to reduce the amount of irrigation water and chemical fertilizer.