A field experiment was carried out during the period from 2005 to 2007 to investigate effects straw mulching and tillage on soil physical, chemical and biological properties of upland rice field that has been under the double-rice cropping system since 2003 in the seasonal arid region of South China (Yujiang County, Jiangxi Province). Results show that no significant difference was found between the treatments, i.e. conventional flooded rice cultivation (CF), upland rice cultivation with straw mulching (SM), and non-tillage upland rice cultivation with straw mulching (N-SM) in soil bulk density and total porosity in 0~ 15 cm depth soil layer. But Treatment N-SM significantly increased soil organic matter, total N, alkalystic N and soil basal respiration, and both Treatments SM and N-SM significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon content and the activities of urease and saccharase, as was compared with Treatment CF. Therefore, the findings suggest that upland rice cultivation with straw mulching and non-tillage upland rice cultivation with straw mulching may be cited as novel water-saving and fertility building rice cultivation models for extrapolation in this region.