Integrated weed management approach is preferable to manage weeds effectively and economically. A study was carried out at Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional station, Coimbatore to study the efficacy of stale seed bed technique (SSBT) in integration with weed smothering legumes as cover crops (CC) in managing weeds of irrigated cotton production system. The experiment was conducted during winter season of 2015-16 and 2016-17 cropping season in a randomized block design with four replications. Six weed control treatments viz., SSBT + CC - Mimosa invisa, SSBT + CC - Crotalaria juncea, SSBT + CC- Sesbania aculeata, SSBT + CC -Vigna unguiculata , SSBT + CC - Desmanthus virgatus along with one hand weeding (HW) at 30 days after seeding (DAS) was common to all cover crop treatments. They were compared against pre-emergence application (PE) of pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha at 3 DAS followed by (fb) hand weeding twice at 30 and 60 DAS. The weed pressure was reduced significantly with SSBT integrated with leguminous cover crops when compared to currently recommended practice of pendimethalin PE fb hand weeding twice. The integration of SSBT to exhaust weed seed bank and growing of leguminous cover crops like Crotalaria juncea and Vigna unguiculata to smother weeds reduced weed pressure and hence recommended as an effective, sustainable weed management options in irrigated cotton production system