**7. Conclusion**

Drought stress causes osmotic stress in plants which causes reduction in growth, imbalance ion transport, and a decrease in transpiration rate and an increase in membrane permeability. Such effects result in less water-absorbing capacity of crop plants, and different plant species and genotypes within a species respond differently to adverse environmental conditions. In order to counteract unfavorable environmental conditions, plants accumulate different types of organic and inorganic solutes in cytosol to decrease osmotic potential by which they can maintain cell turgor. PEG induced severe stress in the selected wheat germplasm, and roottoshoot ratio was enhanced in the drought-affected germplasm. The levels of antioxidant enzymes were enhanced significantly in all genotypes while glycine-betaine, proline, and trehalose have shown association and positive effects during drought stress. The safety and survival of the plants depends on the coordination of these vital osmoprotectants with antioxidant enzymes.
