Screening For Drought Tolerance Research Articles

A multi-trait targeted genotype selection approach for screening drought tolerance in teosinte–maize hybrids

Drought tolerance is a complex characteristic and screening based on multiple traits rather than direct selection indices would result in more efficient selection. The study aims to select hybrids under optimal and water deficit conditions to achieve genetic gains in yield traits without compromising the other secondary traits viz., anthesis-silking interval, leaf chlorophyll content, delayed leaf rolling and leaf senescence, relative water content, and ROS scavenging using the multi-trait genotype ideotype distance index. The 30 teosinte-maize hybrids along with four checks were evaluated for two classes of traits: 16 morphometric and 14 physiological and biochemical traits, under well-watered (WW) and water-stress (WS) environments. Significant variations among the genotypes were observed for most traits and the presence of moderate to high heritability for most traits suggests direct selection for improvement of those traits. Significant correlation of the traits with yield and intercorrelations between traits indicate the advantage of indirect selection based on secondary traits. By assuming a selection intensity of 15% and equal weightage to all the traits, five genotypes were selected based on the MGIDI under each class of traits and in each environment. The genotypes viz. G19, G20, and G29 were commonly selected across both environments. The selection led to desired positive and negative selection gains for most of the traits studied and resulted in high positive gains for single plant yield of 35.6% under WW and 69.3% under WS. The strength and weakness plots effectively present the advantages and limitations of the selected genotypes under each environment. The multi-trait-based selection approach is an effective tool for selecting genotypes and designing breeding strategies for stress breeding.

Screening for Drought Tolerance Within a Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landrace Accessions Core Collection from the Lazio Region of Italy

Screening for Drought Tolerance Within a Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landrace Accessions Core Collection from the Lazio Region of Italy

ZmSCE1a positively regulates drought tolerance by enhancing the stability of ZmGCN5.

Drought stress impairs plant growth and poses a serious threat to maize (Zea mays) production and yield. Nevertheless, the elucidation of the molecular basis of drought resistance in maize is still uncertain. In this study, we identified ZmSCE1a, a SUMO E2-conjugating enzyme, as a positive regulator of drought tolerance in maize. Molecular and biochemical assays indicated that E3 SUMO ligase ZmMMS21 acts together with ZmSCE1a to SUMOylate histone acetyltransferase complexes (ZmGCN5-ZmADA2b). SUMOylation of ZmGCN5 enhances its stability through the 26S proteasome pathway. Furthermore, ZmGCN5-overexpressing plants showed drought tolerance performance. It alleviated accumulation, malondialdehyde content, and ion permeability. What's more, the transcripts of stress-responsive genes and abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent genes were also significantly upregulated in ZmGCN5-overexpressing plants under drought stress. Overexpression of ZmGCN5 enhanced drought-induced ABA production in seedlings. Taken together, our results indicate that ZmSCE1a enhances the stability of ZmGCN5, thereby alleviating drought-induced oxidative damage and enhancing drought stress response in maize.

Identification of Drought Tolerant Fenugreek Mutants at Seedling Stage Through Multi-Trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI)

The top-performing mutants from the M2 generation, induced by a combination of γ radiation and EMS treatment, underwent screening for drought tolerance at the seedling stage in the M3 generation under controlled laboratory conditions. This investigation aimed to assess their potential for drought tolerance. The top 15 high-yielding mutants were assessed under both normal (control) and induced drought conditions (10% PEG solution). Utilizing the MGIDI method, the evaluation provided valuable insights into selection traits and identified mutants with potential drought tolerance. Under normal conditions, mutants M3-181 and M3-149 exhibited superior performance in seedling growth traits, with M3-149 being the top performer under induced drought conditions, followed by M3-181. Their proximity to the red-cutline suggests promising potential that warrants further investigation. Furthermore, these findings indicate that mutant lines displayed superior multi-trait performance compared to the parent cultivar. Specifically, mutants M3-181, M3-149, and M3-29 ranked higher than the parent cultivar under normal conditions, while mutants M3-149, M3-181, and M3-168 surpassed the parent cultivar RMt-1 under induced drought conditions. This underscores the effectiveness of mutation breeding, particularly through the induction of mutations using γ radiation and EMS, as an efficient strategy not only for generating genetic diversity but also for producing variants superior to the parent cultivar. To the best of our knowledge, this is first report made on mutant selection in fenugreek for drought tolerance at seedling stage, using the MGIDI approach.

Screening for drought tolerance and genetic diversity of wheat varieties using agronomic and molecular markers.

The future predictions for frequent and severe droughts will represent a significant threat to wheat yield and food security. In this context, breeding has proven to be the most efficient approach to enhance wheat productivity in dry environments. In this study, both agronomic and molecular-based approaches were used to evaluate the response of twenty-eight Tunisian wheat varieties to drought stress. The primary objective was to screen these varieties for drought tolerance using molecular and agro-morphological markers. All varieties were significantly affected by drought stress regarding various traits including total dry matter, straw length, flag leaf area, number of senescent leaves, SPAD value, grain yield and grain number. Furthermore, substantial variability in drought-stress tolerance was observed among wheat genotypes. The cluster analysis and principal component analyses confirmed the existence of genotypic variation in growth and yield impairments induced by drought. The stress susceptibility index (SSI) and tolerance index (TOL) proved to be the most effective indices and were strongly correlated with the varying levels of genotypic tolerance. The genotyping evaluation resulted in the amplification of 101 alleles using highly polymorphic 12 SSR markers, showed an average polymorphism of 74%. Taken together, the combination of agronomic and molecular approaches revealed that Karim, Td7, D117 and Utique are the most drought-tolerant wheat varieties. These varieties are particularly promising candidates for genetic improvements and can be utilized as potential genitors for future breeding programs in arid and semi-arid regions.

Heterotic Analysis (Oryza sativa L.) in Drought Tolerant Rice Accessions

Water-deficit stress tolerance in rice is important for maintaining stable yield, especially under rain-fed ecosystem. After a thorough drought-tolerance screening of 200 rice genotypes from DBT, Network Rice Project in our previous study, 19 rice lines were selected for drought tolerance capacity. Six randomly chosen rice accessions out of these 19 rice accessions were further used for creation of F1 Hybrids for heterosis study. The study investigates the heterosis effects on key agronomic traits in rice hybrids, including days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of effective tillers per plant, spikelet fertility, grain yield per plant, and 100-grain weight. Analysis reveals diverse heterotic effects across hybrid combinations, with some hybrids exhibiting significant negative heterosis for traits like days to flowering and plant height, indicating potential for early maturation and dwarfism, respectively. Conversely, positive heterosis is observed in traits such as number of effective tillers, spikelet fertility, grain yield, and 100-grain weight, highlighting the potential for enhanced productivity. Notably, certain hybrids consistently display strong positive heterosis across multiple traits, suggesting their suitability for breeding programs aimed at improving overall yield and agronomic performance.

Drought tolerance screening of maize accessions at early growth stage in the mid-hills of Nepal

Drought tolerance screening of maize accessions at early growth stage in the mid-hills of Nepal

Efficacy of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria to Improve the Biochemical Properties and Development of Wheat Seedlings under Drought Stress Control

The most significant cereal crop is wheat, which ranks third among the world's most demanding staple crops after rice and maize. Temperate climates with moderate rainfall are ideal for growing it. Under the current changing climate, abiotic stress conditions, particularly drought conditions, have a significant impact on wheat crop productivity. Plants under drought stress have less water accessible to them, which slows down germination, growth, and yield. In this study, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is used to boost the drought tolerance capability of the wheat plant. PGPR isolate KD-3B strain is used to investigate the plant growth characteristic such as, mineral solubilization (zinc, phosphate, and potassium), ammonia production, indole acetic acid (IAA), and the enzyme 1-carboxylic acid (ACC). Moreover, the plant showed drought tolerance at polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) concentrations of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% (w/v). Wheat seedlings were exposed to both normal and drought conditions when they interacted with the KD-3B bacterial strain, which possesses many features that promote plant development. In comparison to growth in a non-PEG condition, this strain is tested for relative growth up to 41.05% in a 25% PEG concentration. When inoculum of KD-3B bacterial strain used under normal and drought conditions, the relationship between microbes and plants was examine in wheat seedlings grown under hydroponic condition. Under drought stress condition significant changes were observed in the morphological and biochemical conditions of seedlings. This research concluded that, in drought stress condition, PGPR KD-3B strain inoculated seedlings showed increased chlorophyll content, TSS content, malondialdehyde concentration and decreased proline, H2O2 content, SOD and POD activities, as compared to the negative control seedlings. The PGPR stain KD-3B improved their biochemical and physiological parameters and plant microbe interaction decreased the deleterious effect of drought on wheat seedlings.

Drought-Tolerance Screening of Date Palm Cultivars under Water Stress Conditions in Arid Regions

Drought stress poses a considerable challenge to agriculture sustainability in arid regions. Water scarcity severely affects date palm growth and productivity in these regions. However, as water resources become increasingly scarce in arid regions, understanding the drought tolerance of date palm cultivars becomes imperative for developing drought-resistant cultivars and optimizing irrigation water usage for sustainable agriculture. This research examines the impact of different drought stress levels based on evapotranspiration (ETc), i.e., 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% ETc, and time intervals (0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months) on leaf growth, net photosynthesis, chlorophyll a and b content, and leaf relative water content (LRWC) of four prominent date palm cultivars, Khalas, Barhee, Hilali, and Ashrasee. In addition, the study also examines the effects of drought stress on dry weight, potassium and calcium content of leaf, stem, and root, and proline content in fresh leaves of these four cultivars. A solar-powered drip irrigation system with automated time-based irrigation scheduling was used to accurately control the irrigation water amount. To real-time estimate ETc in the study area, meteorological data were collected using a cloud-based IoT system. The findings of this study revealed that severe drought conditions (40 and 60 % ETc) significantly reduced leaf growth, plant dry biomass, and physiological and biochemical attributes; however, date palm cultivars can be grown under moderate drought conditions (80% ETc) with minimal effect on phenotypic, physiological, and biochemical traits to conserve water. The study also revealed that the drought-related characteristics decreased gradually with an increase in water stress time over 24 months. Comparing the date palm cultivars revealed that the Khalas and Barhee cultivars are more drought-tolerant, followed by Hilali, while Ashrasee is susceptible. The study elucidated a water conservation strategy employed in response to drought-induced stress based on the physiological and morphological parameters of date palm cultivars. It provides valuable insights into irrigation practices in arid regions. However, future studies can be focused on other nondestructive innovative techniques such as pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) fluorimetry, infrared radiation (IR), and video imaging system (VIS) methods to identify drought stress in date palms.

Genome-wide dissection and haplotype analysis identified candidate loci for nitrogen use efficiency under drought conditions in winter wheat.

Climate change causes extreme conditions like prolonged drought, which results in yield reductions due to its effects on nutrient balances such as nitrogen uptake and utilization by plants. Nitrogen (N) is a crucial nutrient element for plant growth and productivity. Understanding the mechanistic basis of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) under drought conditions is essential to improve wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield. Here, we evaluated the genetic variation of NUE-related traits and photosynthesis response in a diversity panel of 200 wheat genotypes under drought and nitrogen stress conditions to uncover the inherent genetic variation and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying these traits. The results revealed significant genetic variations among the genotypes in response to drought stress and nitrogen deprivation. Drought impacted plant performance more than N deprivation due to its effect on water and nutrient uptake. GWAS identified a total of 27 QTLs with a significant main effect on the drought-related traits, while 10 QTLs were strongly associated with the NUE traits. Haplotype analysis revealed two different haplotype blocks within the associated region on chromosomes 1B and 5A. The two haplotypes showed contrasting effects on N uptake and use efficiency traits. The in silico and transcript analyses implicated candidate gene coding for cold shock protein. This gene was the most highly expressed gene under several stress conditions, including drought stress. Upon validation, these QTLs on 1B and 5A could be used as a diagnostic marker for NUE and drought tolerance screening in wheat.

Cucurbitacins B, E and I Concentrations and Relationship with Drought Tolerance in Bottle Gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.

Bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.]) is a relatively drought-tolerant cucurbit due to the high composition of unique biochemical compositions, including cucurbitacin. The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of cucurbitacins in bottle gourd and their relationship to drought tolerance. The study assessed 12 bottle gourd accessions grown under two moisture levels (i.e., non-stressed (NS) and drought-stressed (DS)) and three drought stress intensities (i.e., mild, moderate, and severe) using a 12 × 2 × 3 factorial experiment designed in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Control studies were undertaken under glasshouse conditions. The content of cucurbitacins B, E, and I were quantified in leaves and roots using high-performance liquid Cchromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The free radical scavenging activities of pure cucurbitacins B, E, and I were quantified using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and a ferrulic acid power assay (FRAP). Results revealed that cucurbitacins B and I were present in accessions BG-48, BG-58, BG-70, BG-78, BG-79, BG-81, BG-52, and GC in leaves and roots under DS condition. The contents of cucurbitacins B and I were enhanced under increased drought intensity for accessions BG-48, BG-81, and GC. In all the leaf and root samples, cucurbitacin E was not detectable. Based on the DPPH test, pure cucurbitacins I, B, and E reduced free radicals at maximum values of 78, 60, and 66%, respectively. Based on the FRAP assay, pure cucurbitacins I, B, and E had maximum ferric-reducing powers of 67, 62, and 48%. Additionally, cucurbitacin I recorded the highest antioxidant activity compared to cucurbitacins B and E. Increased cucurbitacin accumulation and antioxidant properties indicate their role in minimising cell damage caused by oxidative stress under drought-stressed environments. The present study revealed that cucurbitacins B and I serve as novel biochemical markers for screening drought tolerance in bottle gourd or related cucurbits.

Evaluation of Four Maize (Zea mays L.) Genotypes Using Drought Tolerance Indices

Drought tolerance is not often considered as an independent trait by breeders. The objective of this study was to evaluate and identify drought tolerant genotypes using eight drought tolerance indices namely the Stress Susceptibility Index (SSI), the YSI, the YR (Yr), yield index (YI), tolerance index (TOL), average productivity (MP), mean geometric productivity (GMP) and stress tolerance index (STI) of maize genotypes (Zea mays L.). A field trial was conducted to evaluate four genotypes during the hot dry season of 2016 and 2017 at the irrigated perimeter of Djirataoua. Drought tolerance indices were calculated on the basis of yield under optimal and stressed conditions. The comparison of the means of drought tolerance demonstrated the effects of drought on yield and showed significant differences between genotypes. The correlation coefficient and principal component analysis showed that the GMP, MP and STI indices were able to discriminate drought-sensitive and tolerant genotypes. Two genotypes CZH131001 and CZH142013 produced high grain yield under both optimal and stressed conditions. Overall, GMP, MP, and STI indices can be used as effectively drought tolerance screening indices and able to identify better genotypes, suitable for both optimal and stress conditions.

Genetic Studies for Yield Components and Screening for Drought Tolerance at Seedling Stage of Maize (Zea mays L.) Genotypes

A field experiment involving 30 genotypes of maize was carried out under the field condition during Rabi 2021-2022 to study the association of yield contributing characters among themselves along with direct and indirect effects on grain yield per plant and identify the genotypes which are highly efficient with respect to different PEG induced drought stress. The results of the study revealed that plant height, leaf length, ear height, number of grain rows per cob, number of grains per row, cob girth, cob weight, biological yield per plant, 100 grains weight and harvest index showed positive significant association with grain yield per plant both at genotypic and phenotypic levels. Plant height showed positive significant association with leaf length, ear height, number of grain rows per cob, cob girth, cob weight, 100 grains weight, biological yield per plant and grain yield per plant. Days to fifty per cent silking, anthesis to silking interval, days to maturity, number of grain rows per cob exhibited negative direct effect while number of cobs per plant, leaf width, cob length, cob weight, biological yield per plant and harvest index exhibited positive direct effect on grain yield per plant. For improvement of seed yield, attention should be given for traits such as cob weight, biological yield per plant and harvest index which showed high positive correlation coefficients with a considerable direct and indirect effect on grain yield. MGC-192 has shown high root length, shoot length, seedling length, seedling dry weight, seedling vigour index 1, seedling vigour index II, germination percentage and MGW-392 has shown high relative water content under PEG induced stress condition, hence this genotype is suggested for future selection.

Drought tolerance screening of okra genotypes in relation to growth and physio–biochemical traits at the vegetative stage

Drought tolerance screening of okra genotypes in relation to growth and physio–biochemical traits at the vegetative stage

Polyethylene glycol-induced drought stress screening of selected Philippine high-yielding sugarcane varieties

A greenhouse study was conducted to characterize the drought response of eight high-yielding sugarcane varieties at tillering stage using polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) induced drought conditions. Plant height, stalk diameter, dry matter accumulation, root characteristics, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence, SPAD, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and canopy temperature were evaluated at 2.5 months after planting after four weeks of induced drought conditions. The study aimed to determine whether 1.0% PEG treatment would be able to produce significant differences among test genotypes and use it as a basis to determine drought-tolerant and susceptible varieties. Significant differences were observed among genotypes in PEG stress treatments. PEG stress resulted in significant reductions relative to non-PEG treatment in plant height (32.1%), leaf dry matter (31.6%), and stalk dry matter (49.5%) while total root length (11.8%), root surface area (7.8%) and root volume (19.6%) have generally increased. Reduced plant height, stalk diameter, and dry matter accumulation were observed in susceptible genotypes, while potential tolerant lines maintained or exhibited less reduction in these traits. Moreover, principal component analysis suggests that stalk dry matter, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence plant height, SPAD, canopy temperature, and NDVI, highly contributed to the overall variation in the data (41.5%). With this, vars. 2289, 1011, 2569, and 1899 were identified to be potential drought-tolerant varieties while vars. 1763 and 2155 were potential drought susceptible varieties. Screening for drought tolerance under controlled conditions using PEG-induced drought stress offers a promising approach for sugarcane breeding especially when focusing on specific drought responses during important formative stages such as tillering stage. Being able to select genotypes of interest as early as the tillering stage would significantly hasten breeding cycles and will highly benefit the efforts towards drought stress tolerance in sugarcane.

DISSECTION OF YIELD AND FIBER QUALITY TRAITS UNDER DROUGHT CONDITION IN GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L.

Moisture is a significant component in cotton growth and yield, but stress is the main factor limiting crop productivity since it has a negative impact on cotton's ability to produce high-quality fiber as well as square/boll and lint output. Reduced water availability during the development of the bolls could lead to drastically decreased yield. Four cotton genotypes (MNH-1020, FH-114, BH-178 and CIM-602) were grown under regular irrigation and water-deficit circumstances to examine the tolerance to water scarcity. To further understand the impacts of water shortage, four watering treatments were used in this study: control 100% field capacity, 70% field capacity, 60% field capacity, and 40% field capacity at the squaring stage till boll formation. As the amount of soil moisture declines, we have observed fall in fiber length, fiber fineness, and fiber strength. Yield/plant reduced under water stress due to less no of flowers and bolls, but also because of reduced boll weight. When the stress was extreme during the reproductive growth stage. MNH-1020 showed drought tolerance as by exhibiting maximum yield, boll weight and fiber characters when compared to other three varieties, while FH-114 being second. CIM-602 showed drought susceptibility as it exhibited least no of bolls/plant, yield/plant and boll weight.

Yield-based drought tolerance index evaluates the drought tolerance of cotton germplasm lines in the interaction of genotype-by-environment.

Cotton is an economically important crop in China, and drought has seriously affected cotton production. Understanding genetic variation, genotype ×environment interactions, and the associations between these traits is critical for developing improved cotton varieties with high drought tolerance. To screen ideal drought-resistant cotton germplasm lines and excellent genotypes, the yield traits of 103 cotton germplasm lines were analyzed. Cotton resource material was planted under normal watering and water deficit conditions for three consecutive years. The yield traits under normal irrigation and water stress conditions were measured, and then five screening indicators were calculated based on the cotton yield per plant under the two water treatments to determine the ideal genotype and most accurate identification indicators. The results of correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed that the geometric mean productivity (GMP), mean productivity (MP), and stress tolerance index (STI) were significantly positively correlated with yield under water stress and could be used to distinguish genotypes with high drought tolerance. Among the experimental germplasm lines, some had higher STI and GMP values, indicating their higher drought tolerance. This result indicates that best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) analysis of the STI and GMP under drought stress can effectively improve screening for drought tolerance in cotton germplasm lines. The results from the screening index, three-dimensional map, and genotype ×environment (GGE) biplots were consistent with the above results. We determined that CQJ-5, Xin lu zao 45, Bellsno, Zhong R 2016 and ND 359-5 are drought-tolerant genotypes that can be used to breed drought-tolerant germplasm lines that produce high and stable yields.

Screening of Triticum turgidum genotypes for tolerance to drought stress

Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses leading to reduced yields and economic losses. Effective germplasm screening for drought tolerance particularly under managed water-deficit conditions is an effective way of selecting materials for advanced breeding programs. Here, 37 Triticum turgidum genotypes, including landraces, ancient and modern genotypes, along with 2 tritordeum cultivars, were subjected to water-deficit stress through the application of 10% (w/v) PEG 6000 and to re-watering treatment in controlled environment, and at the end of each treatment, several physiological and morphological traits were investigated. Our results revealed large variation in shoot and root fresh weight, proline, chlorophyll, and MDA concentration, and also in root morphological traits across the 37 genotypes. The hierarchical clustering of the physiological and morphological traits led to the identification of tolerant and sensitive genotypes to water-deficit stress and also reveals those genotypes characterized by deep-rooting and shallow-rooting systems. By integrating both datasets, three outstanding genotypes, namely Karim, Svems 20, and Svems 18 were identified as the most tolerant genotypes with deep-rooting system. On the other hand, Iride and Bulel tritordeum, were introduced as the most sensitive genotypes with shallow-rooting system.

Phenotyping Olive Cultivars for Drought Tolerance Using Leaf Macro-Characteristics

This work investigates the relationships between leaf traits and olive response to water stress through two complementary field experiments in order to screen genotypes for drought tolerance. The first experiment consisted of the phenotyping of 32 olive varieties for 11 leaf morpho-physiological traits during a fruit set phase under well-watered conditions. In the second experiment, the yield and vegetative responses of five representative varieties to the withholding of irrigation during the whole fruit growth period were assessed to identify leaf traits that are associated with olive resilience plasticity and that could be used as drought tolerance markers. The results highlighted large phenotypic variability for leaf area (LA, 2.9–9.5 cm2), petiole elasticity (8.0–36.0°), water loss in detached leaves (WLDL, 3.6–11.6%), stomatal density (222.6–470.1 no mm−2), stomatal length (11.4–18.7 µm), trichome density (120.5–204.4 no mm−2), trichome width (103.6–183.4 µm), leaf contents in cuticular wax (CWC, 44.7–606.2 µg cm−2), and soluble sugars (SSC, 15.8–536.9 mg gdw−1). Among these leaf traits, WLDL displayed a significant correlation with the yield stability index (r = −0.973) and water use efficiency (r = −0.939), suggesting its use as relevant drought tolerance phenotypic marker. Likewise, LA, SSC, and CWC were singled out as second-level drought tolerance markers, being strongly correlated with stability of leaf size and leafing intensity in response to water stress. Cluster analysis highlighted 12 distinct levels of drought tolerance within the studied olive collection. Based on the four identified phenotypic markers, “Lechin de Sevilla” alongside “Picholine Marocaine” were found to be the most drought-tolerant varieties, while Frantoio was the most sensitive. This study provides the first, unprecedented, insights into the usefulness of leaf phenotyping in olive drought tolerance screening, with a focus on structural and functional leaf traits.

Genetic Variability Assessment of Tropical Indica Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings for Drought Stress Tolerance.

Drought stress is one of the most devastating abiotic factors limiting plant growth and development. Devising an efficient and rapid screening method at the seedling stage is vital in identifying genotypes best suited under drought conditions. An experiment was conducted to assess 74 rice genotypes for drought tolerance using specially designed mini-hoop structures. Two treatments were imposed on rice seedlings, including 100% moisture and a 50% moisture regime. Several shoot morpho-physiological traits and root traits were measured and analyzed. The genotypes exhibited a wide range of variability for the measured traits, with the leaf area showing the most significant variation, followed by plant height, tiller number, and shoot dry weight. In contrast, the drought did not significantly affect most root traits. The germplasm was classified into different categories using cumulative drought stress response indices (CDSRI); 19 genotypes (26%) were identified as drought sensitive, and 33 (45%), 15 (20%), and 7 (9%) were determined as low, moderately, and highly drought-tolerant, respectively. Genotypes IR86638 and IR49830 were the most and least drought-tolerant, respectively. Overall, a poor correlation was observed between CDSRI, total shoot traits (R2 = 0.36), and physiological parameters (R2 = 0.10). A strong linear correlation was found between CDSRI and root traits (R2 = 0.81), suggesting that root traits are more crucial and better descriptors in screening for drought tolerance. This study can help rice breeders and scientists to accelerate breeding by adopting a mini-hoop rapid screening method. The tolerant genotypes could serve as appropriate donor parents, progenies, and potential genotypes for developing drought-tolerant commercial cultivars.