Field experiments were conducted during 2007-08 and 2008-09 to study weed dynamics and production efficiency under diversified and intensified rice based cropping systems in Kymore Plateau and Satpura Hills Zone of Madhya Pradesh. Among the all 12 rice based cropping systems under Kharif, in rice Echinochloa crusgalli was the most dominating weed contributing 32.8% of total weed intensity at most critical period (25 DAT) while Monochoria vaginalis at harvest stage (18.8%). During Rabi, relative density of weeds varied between different crops. In early (30.2 to 43.3%) and at harvest stage (10.1 to 46.8%) Medicago denticulata was found to be more serious weed almost in all Rabi crops grown under different cropping systems but in onion and garlic Portulaca oleracea having higher intensity at harvest stage (45.2%). The Portulaca spp. predominantly infested to all summer crops at early (41.5 to 54.6%) and harvest stage (37.2 to 44.1%). In rice varieties the weed intensity and biomass ranged from 229.0 to 254.2/m2 and 1.0 to 1.15 t/ha under different crop systems respectively. During Rabi, weed intensity was higher in vegetable pea (207.3/m2) and weed biomass was higher berseem (0.71 t/ha). During summer season, the weed intensity was maximum (156.4/m2) in okra which resulted into the highest weed biomass production (0.67 t/ha). Both rice and wheat crops grown under rice–wheat system require large quantity of irrigation water which is favourable to build up a typical weed infestation problem. All diversified and intensified cropping systems significantly led to record higher production efficiency (83.13kg/ha/day to 57.05kg/ha/day) beneficial to minimize the serious challenges posed by the weeds as compared to both existing cropping systems viz., rice-wheat (45.63kg/ha/day) and rice-chickpea (39.49kg/ha/day).