The researchers studied how drought stress affects rice growth during germination and identified indicators for drought resistance. They tested 62 rice varieties under drought conditions created by PEG-6000 and measured various growth indicators. They found that drought stress significantly impacted root growth more than shoot growth. Maximum root length and coleoptile length were key indicators of drought resistance in rice germination. Through statistical analysis, they identified 14 rice varieties with high drought resistance potential, which could be valuable for breeding drought-resistant rice varieties.