Weeds that occur in repeated flushes pose major challenges to direct-seeded rice (DSR). Zero till (ZT) DSRwith crop residue influences weed interference considerably and can be substitutive to resource-intensive puddledtransplanted rice (PTR). Field experiments were conducted at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute during2018–19 involving conservation agriculture (CA)-based DSRs and weed control/herbicides treatments to appraiseweed interference and productivity under an eight-year old CA-based rice-wheat system (RWS). All DSRs encountered more weeds than PTR. A double ZT system without residue [~ZTDSR-ZT wheat (ZTW); C1] had highest density and dry weight of grassy weeds, but a triple ZT system without residue [~ZTDSR-ZTW-ZT mungbean (ZTMB);C4] had highest density and dry weight of broad-leaved and sedge weeds. However, a triple ZT system with threecrops residue [~ZTDSR + mungbean residue-ZTW + rice residue-ZTMB + wheat residue; C5)] could reduce weedinterference significantly and led to 9.3% and 21.8% higher rice yield than C1 and C4, respectively. The applicationof pyrazosulfuron-ethyl 0.025 kg/ha pre-emergence followed by (fb) cyhalofop-butyl 0.100 kg/ha at 20 days aftersowing (DAS), fb bispyribac-Na 0.025 kg/ha at 25 DAS (W4) led to significant reduction in grassy, broad-leaved andsedge weeds densities by 92.5, 96.6 and 67.7%, respectively. The triple ZT system with rice, wheat and mungbeanresidues (C5) combined with application of pyrazosulfuron-ethyl fb cyhalofop-butyl fb bispyribac-Na (W4) gavealmost similar rice yield with PTR (C6). This may be recommended for adoption in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) ofIndia and in similar agro-ecologies of the tropics/sub-tropics.