Analysis of drought resistance of hexaploid triticale at sprouting stage

20% PEG-6000 (－0.975 MPa) was used to induce water stress in the laboratory to determine the germination potential, germination rate, coleoptile length, radicle length and root number of hexaploid triticale at sprouting stage. Drought resistance of hexaploid triticale was analyzed by fuzzy subordinate function analysis and droughtresistance coefficient at sprouting stage. Finally, the relationship between each morphological index and drought-resistance was established using grey correlative degree analysis. Results show that the germination potential, germination rate, coleoptile and radicle length of each variety decrease or shorten than those of the control under osmotic stress. Differences among triticale varieties are either significant or very significant, but root numbers of some triticale varieties increase while others decrease, indicating that reactions of root number to water stress are different. The variety “Tornado” (S9) has high resistance to drought at sprouting and can be used as a good germsplasm in wheat breeding. The degree of correlation between germination rate and drought resistance of hexaploid triticale at sprouting stage is simply highest, hence germination rate can be a useful morphological index of drought resistance.