The morpho-physiological responses of 15 rapeseed genotypes to drought stress were assessed. There was a strong correlation between characteristics. Under control condition, the genotype Angelico fascinated in chlorophyll content, Nilofar in “carotenoid content, the highest grain yield and HI “, Talaye recorded the highest proline content. Under drought, Nafis maintained the highest plant height, pod number, biomass and grain yield. Angelico showed the highest chlorophyll and RWC content. Nima had the highest carotenoid, Zarfam excelled in chlorophyll b, and Nafis recorded the highest proline content. Overall, drought stress led to a significant reduction in most morpho-physiological traits. In PCA, the first two components explained a substantial portion of the variation in both control and drought conditions, facilitating the classification of the genotypes into two distinct groups. Additionally, twelve drought stress indices further categorized the genotypes into two groups, with the first two components accounting for the majority of the variation (99.45%). Nilofar, Nima, Nafis and Shirali cultivars, categorized in a special group under both control and drought conditions, having the highest grain yield. They could be considered to be drought tolerant varieties of this study. The study identified stable and high-performing rapeseed genotypes, which are recommended for future breeding programs.
