Screening for Drought Tolerance: Evaluation of Seed Germination and Seedling Growth for Drought Resistance in Legume Plants

Experiments were performed to evaluate seed germination and seedling growth in simulated drought as screening techniques for drought tolerance raring. Several laboratory screening tests were evaluated for ability to estimate drought resistance in 18 cultivars of legume plants (field bean, soybean, field pea, lupine). Drought was simulated by a water solution of mannitol of chemical water potential ψ= -0.3 and -0.6 MPa. Both solutions significantly affected seed germination (final germination and promptness index) and seedling growth parameters (seedling height, dry matter of shoot and root as well as leaf injury by drought and high temperature). The tested cultivars could be grouped as drought resistant and drought susceptible plants. Drought tolerance ratings of legume plants in the laboratory tests were, on the whole, consistent with the ratings based on estimation of direct effects of soil drought on seed yield in field experiments. Measurements of electroconductivity of leaf diffusate to evaluate invisible injury caused by drought or high temperature were found to be an adequate criterion for drought tolerance rating. It is concluded that tolerance to drought stress in growing seedlings can be screened for by using mannitol containing nutrient solution. According to the results collected in this research, varieties differences in seed germination, seedling growth and leaf injury affected by drought or heat temperature were evident, however, not all treatments appeared to be equally useful for screening of legume species cultivars.     

Effects of soil drought during the vegetative phase of seedling growth on the uptake of 14co2 and the accumulation and translocation of 14C in cultivars of field bean (vicia faba L. Var. Minor) and field pea (pisum sativum L.) Of different drought tolerance

During the vegetative phase of growth of two field bean and two field pea cultivars of different drought tolerance, the effect of short and prolonged soil drought on gas exchange (CO₂ i H₂O), leaf water potential (ψ), stomatal diffusive resistance (r_S), uptake of CO₂, and the distribution and accumulation of ¹⁴C was studied. Differences in the response to drought conditions between resistant and susceptible cultivars were marked. After 5 days of soil drought, the decrease in net photosynthesis and transpiration rate and the increase of stomatal resistance were greater in the drought-resistant cultivars than in the drought-susceptible ones. In contrast, after 10 days of drought the decrease of leaf P_N (CO₂ assimilation rate), E (rate of transpiration) and ψ (water potential) was greater in the susceptible cultivars than in the resistant ones. Significant differences between the resistant and the susceptible cultivars were also observed in the assimilation and translocation of ¹⁴C by the green parts of the plant. The amount of carbon accumulation in roots in drought-susceptible cultivars increased less than in the drought-resistant cultivars. For treatments in which optimal soil watering was resumed after 5 or 10 days of drought there was no evidence of effects of drought on the majority of measurements, but the drought-resistant cultivars showed a general tendency for a more rapid recovery. Our results confirm the existence of genetic variability in drought tolerance among the cultivars of field bean and field pea. The recorded differences in the response to drought of experimental cultivars may indicate that, under water deficit in the soil and in plant tissues, they may use different strategies to avoid the damaging effects of temporary limitation of water supply; for example, the drought-resistant cultivars may more effectively conserve tissue hydration through effective stomatal closure. Also, the observed changes in carbon assimilation and accumulation might be the reason for their different responses to drought. The change in radioactivity losses in the control and stressed plants may result from the differences in demand for energy to maintain cell structure and function. Similarly, the less intense carbon accumulation in the roots of the sensitive cultivars could be caused by more harmful effects of drought on root growth.     

Two Soybean Plant Introductions Display Slow Leaf Wilting and Reduced Yield Loss under Drought

Due to high costs of irrigation, limited availability of irrigation water in many locations and/or lack of irrigation capabilities, genetic improvement for drought tolerance is an effective method to reduce yield loss in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Slow wilting and minimal yield reduction under drought are important traits in evaluating drought tolerance. Two maturity group III soybean plant introductions (PIs, PI 567690 and PI 567731) and two elite cultivars (DKB38‐52 and Pana) were evaluated with and without irrigation on a sandy soil. Drought was imposed by withholding irrigation at full bloom and continued until moderate wilting was shown by the fast leaf wilting in the check cultivar, Pana. Then, irrigation was resumed until maturity. Genotypes were scored for leaf wilting during the stress period, and yields were assessed at the end of the growing season and used to calculate a drought index. Yields of the exotic PIs were lower than those of the checks under both drought and well‐watered conditions. However, the PIs exhibited significantly lower wilting and less yield loss under drought (higher drought index) than check cultivars. The two PIs may have useful genes to develop drought‐tolerant germplasm and cultivars and maybe useful in genetic and physiological studies to decipher mechanisms responsible for improving yield under limited water availability.     

Grain Yield and Drought Resistance Indices of Oat Cultivars in Field Rain Shelter and Laboratory Experiments

Oat cultivars (n = 22) varying in origin were examined in laboratory and field tests at Svalöv and Ultuna, Sweden, in 1985 and 1986. Comparisons were made between drought resistance characteristics of juvenile plants and drought responses in yield of crops grown in field. By using automatic, movable rain shelters in combination with drip irrigation systems, both high and low irrigation regimes could be effected in the field experiments.
Black oat cultivars were more stable under water deficiency conditions, particularly on sandy soil. They possessed the highest drought resistance indices both in the laboratory and field. Modern white oat cultivars were found to be most drought sensitive.
Drought resistance index (DRI) and seminal root length (RL), as assessed in seedling stage, were strongly correlated with field drought susceptibility index (S). It is suggested that DRI and RL could be used as selection criteria to increase drought resistance of oats.     

Drought Tolerance Screening Under Controlled Conditions Predicts Ranking of Water‐Limited Yield of Field‐Grown Soybean Genotypes

Drought is a major limitation to crop yields worldwide. Screening for soybean yield under water deficit is often a bottleneck in breeding programmes. We assessed the validity of a standardized drought tolerance screening method to predict water‐limited field performance of soybean in NW Argentina. First, to determine the phenological period when yield of glasshouse‐grown plants was more sensitive to water deficit, we applied treatments during 21 days in V₇, R₃ or R₅ stages, being the period from R₅ to R₆ the most critical for yield. Afterwards, two glasshouse experiments were carried out to quantify the tolerance of either eight or four genotypes, respectively, by applying a controlled water deficit of constant intensity during the critical period. Finally, yield data obtained in field trials in Argentina across several locations and seasons classified according to rainfall were analysed. Drought Susceptibility Index was calculated for each experiment and for field data, and rankings of tolerance were similar in all cases. This standardized method, which can be automated for high‐throughput phenotyping, could represent a useful tool in breeding programmes for identifying soybean cultivars with improved performance under drought conditions.     

Drought effects on yield and its components in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

Effects of drought on yield and yield components were investigated during the spring season 2000–2001 by growing 14 Indian mustard genotypes under irrigated and rain-fed conditions at Bharatpur and Jobner. A disease and pest management schedule was followed when required. The drought susceptibility index (DSI) for seed yield and component characteristics was calculated to characterize the relative tolerance of genotypes. Plant height, primary branches, secondary branches per plant, 1000-seed weight and seed yield were reduced under rain-fed conditions. The top five genotypes at Bharatpur that showed tolerance to moisture stress for seed yield, as indicated by their lowest DSI, were, in descending order PSR-20, PRO-97024, JMMWR-941, IS-1787 and PCR-7, whereas at Jobner these were JMMWR-941, RC-1446, PSR-20, RH-819 and 'Varuna'. Of these, PSR-20 and JMMWR-941 were among the top six at both locations. These genotypes also showed relatively low DSI for one or more characteristics, such as primary branches per plant, secondary branches per plant, harvest index and seed : husk ratio. Genotypes with the lowest DSI, particularly for seed yield at both locations, would serve as useful donors in the breeding programme for improving the drought tolerance of existing Indian mustard cultivars.     

The Effect of Late-terminal Drought Stress on Yield Components of Four Barley Cultivars

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important winter cereal crop grown in the semiarid Mediterranean, where late‐terminal drought stress during grain filling has recently become more common. The objectives of this study were to investigate the growth performance and grain yield of four barley cultivars under late‐terminal drought stress under both glasshouse and field conditions. At grain filling, four barley cultivars (Rum, ACSAD176, Athroh and Yarmouk) were exposed to three watering treatments: (1) well‐watered [soil maintained at 75 % field capacity (FC)], (2) mild drought stress at 50 % FC, (3) severe drought stress at 25 % FC in the glasshouse experiment and (1) well‐watered (irrigated once a week), (2) mild drought (irrigated once every 2 weeks), (3) severe drought (non‐irrigated; rainfed) in the field. As drought stress severity increased, gross photosynthetic rate, water potential, plant height, grain filling duration, spike number per plant, grain number per spike, 1000‐grain weight, straw yield, grain yield and harvest index decreased. In the glasshouse experiment, the six‐row barley cultivars (Rum, ACSAD176, and Athroh) had higher grain yield than the two‐row barley cultivar (Yarmouk), but the difference was not significant among the six‐row cultivars under all treatments. In the field experiment, Rum had the highest grain yield among all cultivars under the mild drought stress treatment. The two‐row cultivar (Yarmouk) had the lowest grain yield. In general, the traditional cultivar Rum had either similar or higher grain yield than the other three cultivars under all treatments. However, the yield response to drought differed between the cultivars. Those, Rum and ACSAD176, that were capable of maintaining a higher proportion of their spikes and grains per spike during drought also maintained a higher proportion of their yield compared with those in well‐watered treatment. In conclusion, cultivar differences in grain yield were related to spike number per plant and grain number per spike, but not days to heading or grain filling duration.     

转DREB3基因抗旱大豆对土壤理化性状的影响

采用盆栽试验方法,在正常水分管理和干旱胁迫条件下研究了转DREB3基因抗旱大豆对土壤理化性状的影响。结果表明:转DREB3基因抗旱大豆对土壤主要物理性状土粒密度和土壤容重无显著影响,对根际土壤碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾和有机质含量等主要化学性状无显著影响。转DREB3基因抗旱大豆的种植不会带来对土壤主要理化性状的不利影响。     

不同高产玉米品种抗旱性的比较研究

为了有效筛选出适合鲁东半干旱区应用的夏玉米品种,以山东省目前主推的9个玉米品种为试材,通过2010-2011年连续2年防雨棚控水干旱试验,以抗旱隶属度、抗旱指数为评价参数,对各品种进行抗旱性综合评价。结果表明,干旱胁迫导致各品种玉米株高、穗位高、穗长、穗粒重均不同程度地降低,茎秆变细,秃尖变长,产量降低。年份间比较,2011年夏玉米植株性状、穗部性状、地上部干物重、产量均显著高于2010年。以茎秆性状、穗部性状、地上部干物重及产量指标隶属度的平均值为综合评价标准,‘登海701’为典型抗旱性品种;‘莱农14’、‘农大108’、‘金海5号’为抗旱性较强的品种;‘登海662’、‘郑单958’、‘中科11’、‘浚单20’为抗旱性弱的品种;‘青农105’在2年内的隶属度值差异较大,其抗旱性有待进一步研究。     

Efficient selection of potato heterokaryons by flow cytometric sorting and the regeneration of hybrid plants

Drought is one of the important factors limiting crop production in arid and semi-arid regions. Four drought resistance criteria, consisting of canopy temperature, stomatal resistance, transpiring area and rate of water loss by excised-leaves were examined in two experiments conducted in optimum and stress moisture conditions in 1995. A randomized complete block design with four replications and six genotypes was used for each experiment. Under optimum moisture conditions, there was a significant difference in canopy temperature at midday between drought resistant and drought sensitive genotypes. A significant linear relationship was also obtained between this criterion and yield reduction ratio as determined by Y_r = 1-(Y_s/Y_p) (Y_s and Y_p = yield under stress and non-stress conditions, respectively), at the ear emergence stage. The only significant difference between cultivars in respect to stomatal resistance in stress conditions was that of adaxial leaf surface in ear emergence stage. No significant linear relationship was obtained between transpiring area and yield reduction ratio. Cultivars differed in respect to rate of water loss (RWL) and initial water content (IWC) in ear emergence and grain filling in stress environment only. Ultimately, three criteria namely canopy temperature, stomatal resistance and RWL, in explicated conditions were recognized as benificial drought resistance indicators. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Root Distribution of Drought-Resistant Peanut Genotypes in Response to Drought

The ability of a plant to modify its root distribution to exploit deeper stored soil water may be an important mechanism to avoid drought. This study aimed at assessing root distributions, variations in root length density (RLD) and percentage of root distribution, and the relevance of root traits for yield of drought‐resistant peanut genotypes under different available soil water levels. The experiment was conducted in the dry season during the years 2003/04 and 2004/05. Eleven peanut genotypes (ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308, ICGV 98324, ICGV 98330, ICGV 98348, ICGV 98353, Tainan 9, KK 60‐3 and Tifton‐8) and three soil moisture levels [field capacity (FC), 2/3 available soil water (AW) and 1/3 AW] were laid out in a split‐plot design with four replications. Roots were sampled by a core sampler at 37, 67 and 97 days after sowing (DAS). Root length was determined by a scanner and the WINRHIZO Pro 2004a software. RLD was calculated as the ratio of root length (cm) and soil volume (cm³). Graphical illustration of root distribution was constructed by merging RLD in the first and second soil layers (0–40 cm) as upper roots and pooling RLD at the third, fourth and fifth layers (40–100 cm) as lower roots. Pod yield, biomass and harvest index (HI) were recorded at harvest. A drought tolerance index (DTI) was calculated for each parameter as the ratio of the parameter under stress treatment to that under well‐watered conditions. Variations in RLD in 40 to 100 cm layer (RLD_{40 to 100 cm}) were found under well‐watered conditions, and the peanut genotypes could be readily identified as high, intermediate and low for this trait. Changes in RLD in the 40 to 100 cm soil layer were found at 2/3 AW and were more evident at 1/3 AW. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308 and KK 60‐3 were classified as drought responsive as they increased RLD in the deeper subsoil level in response to drought. In general, RLD under drought conditions was not related to biomass production. The ability to maintain the percentage of RLD (DTI for %RLD) was related to pod yield, DTI for pod yield and DTI for HI. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305 exhibited high DTI (RLD_{40 to 100 cm}) which may explain their high pod yield, DTI (PY) and DTI (HI). Based on these observations we classified them as drought‐avoiding genotypes.     

普通菜豆抗旱生理特性

采用盆栽试验,以抗旱性较好的品种跃进豆、260205和敏感品种奶花芸豆为试材,设置干旱和正常供水2种处理,测定产量、产量构成因素及相关生理生化指标,分析干旱胁迫下参试品种各性状及生理指标的变化及对干旱胁迫的生理响应。结果表明,干旱处理36 d,跃进豆和260205的根干重为总生物量的20.2%和20.6%,荚干重为总生物量的30.0% 和28.9%,而奶花芸豆的根干重和荚干重仅为总生物量的10.6%和17.1%,光合产物向根系和籽粒的有效分配与普通菜豆抗旱性关系密切;跃进豆在干旱胁迫后期的水分利用效率较对照增加 230.5%,而奶花芸豆的增幅仅为84.3%,较高的水分利用效率有利于CO₂的有效扩散和高效固定;其他生理特性分析表明,抗氧化酶与光呼吸共同作用有效降低了膜脂过氧化程度,减少了叶片的损伤;脯氨酸和可溶性糖是普通菜豆主要的渗透调节物质,能够较好地保持自身叶片的水分平衡。普通菜豆抗旱性是多种生理调节机制协同作用的结果,主要包括形态调节、气孔调节、渗透调节以及抗氧化能力的调节等。     

Improving the Productivity of Bread Wheat by Good Management Practices under Terminal Drought

Drought‐induced damages in crop plants are ranked at top amid all losses instigated by diverse abiotic stresses. Terminal drought (drought at reproductive phase) has emerged as a severe threat to the productivity of wheat crop. Different seed enhancement techniques, genotypes and distribution of crop plants in different spacings have been explored individually to mitigate these losses; however, their interaction has rarely been tested in improving drought resistance in wheat. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential role of different seed enhancement techniques and row spacings in mitigating the adversities of terminal drought in two wheat cultivars during two consecutive growing seasons of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012. Seeds of wheat cultivars Lasani‐2008 (medium statured) and Triple Dwarf‐1 (dwarf height) soaked in water (hydropriming) or CaCl₂ (osmopriming) were sown in 20‐, 25‐ and 30‐cm spaced rows; just before heading, the soil moisture was maintained at 100 % field capacity (well watered) or 50 % field capacity (terminal drought) till maturity. Terminal drought significantly reduced the yield and related traits compared with well‐watered crop; however, osmopriming improved the crop performance under terminal drought. Among different row spacings, wheat sown in 20‐cm spaced rows performed better during both years of study. Wheat cultivar Lasani‐2008 performed better than cultivar Triple Dwarf‐1 under both well‐watered and stress conditions. Maximum net returns and benefit–cost ratio were recorded from osmoprimed seeds of cultivar Lasani‐2008 sown in 20‐cm spaced rows under well‐watered condition. Nonetheless, osmoprimed seeds of cultivar Lasani‐2008 sown in 20‐cm spaced rows were better able to produce good yield under terminal drought.     

Differential Drought Responses of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Inbred Lines

Drought responses of 19 inbred faba bean lines of different origin were studied in the field under rain shelters with and without irrigation. Inbred lines differed significantly in response to drought (P < 0.01): those with a lower drought sensitivity index (SI) (more resistant) originated from the drought-prone regions characterized by smaller plant size (r = 0.93), and more pods and seeds per plant (r ≥ 0.90) regardless of seed size, while lines with higher SI (more sensitive) were those which mainly exhibited higher yield under favourable conditions accompanied by a greater biomass. In a greenhouse experiment under mild drought (−0.15 MPa soil water potential), comparisons between relatively drought-sensitive (Adriewaalse) and drought-resistant (L7) inbred lines showed that Adriewaalse used 38 % more water than L7 and also produced 40 % more biomass. There was a stress-induced decrease in osmotic potential (ψ_s) in both lines (by 0.72 and 0.50 MPa for Adriewaalse and L7, respectively) accompanied by decreased turgor in Adriewaalse and increased turgor in L7. The difference in drought-induced solute accumulation between lines was diminished when solute accumulation due to water loss and growth inhibition was considered, which indicates that solute accumulation was the result of a concentration effect. Similarly, lower SI in the field was not the result of osmotic adjustment, as the relationship between SI and drought-induced decrease in ψ_s was negative. The water use efficiency of both inbred lines increased markedly with increasing water deficit, though there was no difference between the lines. It was concluded that differences in drought resistance between these inbred faba bean lines were manifested through plant size-induced water demand (avoidance) but were not associated with osmotic adjustment (tolerance).     

Identification of Physiological Traits Underlying Cultivar Differences in Drought Tolerance in Rice and Wheat

Rice is used as a model cereal to study drought response at the molecular level, with the goal of applying results to other cereals. To assess the relevance of results from rice to other species, the kinetics of drought development and plant response of tolerant and susceptible tropical rice ( Oryza sativa L.) and subtropical wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were compared under vegetative and reproductive stage drought in pot experiments. Water was withheld during reproductive stage until plant available soil moisture content was 30 % of field capacity (FC) or leaf wilting was observed, and then reapplied. Rice reached 30 % FC 9 days after withholding water and wheat after 13 days. Before rewatering, both species reached leaf water potentials of −12 bars and similarly low transpiration rates. Stress reduced leaf relative water content, leaf elongation and membrane stability. When water stress was imposed during reproductive stage, pollen fertility was most affected in wheat, while panicle exsertion and anther dehiscence were severely affected in rice. When water stress was imposed during vegetative stage, wheat was less affected to vegetative stage drought than rice. The nature of differences between tolerant and susceptible cultivars was similar for the two species. However, the differential growth habitats and growth rate of plants needs to be considered in these kinds of experiments.     

Introgression as a Route to Improved Drought Tolerance in White Clover (Trifolium repens L.)

Backcross hybrids between the important forage legume white clover Trifolium repens , which is stoloniferous, and the related rhizomatous species T. ambiguum have been produced using T. repens as the recurrent parent. The drought tolerance of parents and two generations of backcross plants, possessing both stolons and rhizomes, was studied in deep soil bins in a glasshouse both as monocultures and in mixtures with perennial ryegrass. Soil moisture content, leaf relative water content, and leaf water potential were measured on plants subjected to drought cycles of 4 weeks duration and those watered normally and maintained at field capacity. Six cycles of drought, carried out over 2 years, showed that T. ambiguum and the first and second generation backcross hybrids maintained a greater leaf relative water content and higher leaf water potential than T. repens at comparable levels of soil moisture. The dry matter yield of T. repens was significantly reduced over each drought cycle compared to the watered treatments, while the yield of T. ambiguum increased over the 4-week cycle in both treatments. The yield of the backcross generations was intermediate between those of the two parental species. The implications of these results for white clover germplasm improvement programmes are discussed.     

Effect of soil drought on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids grown under compacted soil

In this study, we examined responses of maize hybrids differing in susceptibility to soil compaction and drought in the case of their separate or combined action. We ran field and greenhouse experiments and determined effects on grain yield, biomass, weight of 1000 grains, shoot and roots dry matter (DM), shoot-to-roots ratio, harvest index, plant height, emergence index, leaf area and greening and root number and length. Individual and combined effects of both stresses were observed in the field and greenhouse. Compared with plants growing in loose soil and optimal irrigation (LI), the resistant hybrids in treatments HI, LD and HD showed a smaller reduction in GY, BY, S, R, R_N and R_L than the sensitive. In both groups, stress influence on HA, W-1000, LA and SPAD was smaller and the differences were insignificant. Compared with LI treatment, the roots of LD, HI and HD increased their DM, number and length in the upper level of the soil profile and the number of roots developed at 0–30° and 30–60° in relation to the root main axis. Analysis of those traits in the hybrids resistant and sensitive to both stress factors enabled to explain a defence response. Our study demonstrated that soil compaction and soil drought, which usually occurs simultaneously, caused significant changes in components of plant yield and showed plant plasticity in response to environmental factors under natural conditions.     

Interspecific Differences in Tolerance to Soil Compaction,Drought and Waterlogging Stresses among Maize and Triticale Genotypes

Stress susceptibility indexes (SSI) of eight maize and eight triticale genotypes for their ability to cope with soil compaction (SC) combined with drought (D) or waterlogging (W) were estimated through the determination of changes in dry matter of the shoot (S), root (R) and whole plant (S+R) grown at three levels of soil compaction (1.1, 1.3 and 1.6 g cm^?3) and exposed to D or W stress for 7 or 14 days. The SSI values showed variation between and within maize and triticale genotypes, and it was possible to divide genotypes into groups of sensitive and resistant ones. The correlation coefficients (r) between stress susceptibility indexes of soil compaction (SCSI) and drought (DSI) or waterlogging (WSI) and between DSI and WSI were statistically significant. This indicates that genotypes resistant to soil compaction (SC) were resistant to drought (D) or waterlogging (W) stresses and that genotypes resistant to D were also resistant to W. Seedlings grown under the stresses showed changes in S to R ratio (S/R). Sensitive genotypes had higher S/R ratio than resistant ones. Decrease of S/R ratio depends on the duration of stresses, and it may be considered an adaptation mechanism to stress. After 7 days of recovery for D and W treatments, we observed only a partial return of growth traits to the level of control plants.     

不同烤烟品种对干旱胁迫的响应

为了研究烤烟新品种豫烟1 3号的抗旱性,以主栽品种中烟100为对照品种,采用盆栽试验研究了干旱胁迫对农艺性状、地上部鲜重、干重、根系指标、酶活性和产量的影响.结果表明,干旱条件下,中烟100和豫烟13号株高和茎围明显降低;干旱对根、茎、叶干重影响较大,直接影响单株产量,干旱条件下2个品种产量显著低于正常供水处理,与中烟100相比,豫烟13号产量受干旱影响程度较小;与中烟100相比较,干旱务件下豫烟13号酶活性增加幅度大.综合各指标来看,豫烟13号抗旱能力优于中烟100.     

Improving adaptation to drought stress in white pea bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): Genotypic effects on grain yield,yield components and pod harvest index

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important food legume crop in Africa and Latin America where rainfall pattern is unpredictable. The objectives were to identify better yielding common bean lines with good canning quality under drought, and to identify traits that could be used as selection criteria for evaluating drought‐tolerant genotypes. In all, 35 advanced lines were developed through single seed descent and evaluated with a standard check under drought and irrigated conditions at two locations over 2 years in Ethiopia. Grain yield (GY), pod number per m², seed number per m² and seed weight decreased by 56%, 47%, 49% and 14%, respectively, under drought stress. Eight genotypes had better yield with good canning quality under drought compared to the check. Moderate to high proportion of genetic effects were observed under drought conditions for GY and yield components compared to genotype × environment effects. Significant positive correlations between GY and pod harvest index (PHI) in drought suggest that PHI could be used as an indirect selection criterion for common bean improvement.