Abstract: In this study, 5% PEG was used to simulate severe drought stress to explore the physiological and biochemical characteristics of different mulberry rootstocks. Under severe drought stress, the leaves of mulberry rootstocks quickly lose water, and the wilting time and wilting ratio of different rootstocks are significantly different. Physiological and biochemical indicators related to water stress, such as malondialdehyde （MDA）, proline （Pro）, hydrogen peroxide （H₂O₂） content, and the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity, peroxidase （POD） activity, catalase （CAT） activity were measured. The results of the study showed that the MDA content, SOD activity, CAT activity, and POD activity of the six mulberry rootstocks showed an overall downward trend, but the magnitude of the change was slight. However, the Pro content showed an increasing trend, especially in the later period, the Pro content increased rapidly, and the content of H₂O₂ showed the characteristic of first increasing and then decreasing, but the trend of change between different mulberry rootstocks were different.

Key words: mulberry, rootstock, drought stress