Trittipyrum is an important annual grass plant for forage production in arid and semiarid regions. The effects of drought stress on Trittipyrum lines were evaluated in the field experiment in a randomized complete block design with a factorial experiment involving three replications in 2012. Treatments were water stress (field capacity (FC), 75% of FC, 50% of FC and 25% of FC throughout the experimental period and 13 primary Trittipyrum lines ((St/b)(Cr/b)F4, (Ma/b)(Cr/b)F4, (Ma/b)(Cr/b)F3, (Ka/b)(Cr/b)F2, (Ka/b)(Cr/b)F3, (Ka/b)(Cr/b)F5, (Ka/b)(Cr/b)F6, La(4b,4d)/b, St/b, Cr/b, La/b, Ka/b, Az/b). The results showed that drought stress had significant effects on seedling traits. Drought stress significantly decreased shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, seedling dry weight, seedling length vigor index and seedling weight vigor index. The results of mean comparison revealed that (az/b)(cr/b)F5 and Kz/b lines were the most sensitive and the most tolerant lines to drought stress in early vigor stage, respectively. Although the response of Trittipyrum lines was different to drought stress; but the result indicated that Trittipyrum lines are sensitive to drought at emergence stage.
