Objective] This study almed to investigate the effects of uniconazoIe on physioIogical and biochemical properties of roots of different sweetpotato cuItivars at seedIing stage. [Method] Under hydroponic conditions in a greenhouse, the effects of exogenous uniconazoIe on physioIogical and biochemical properties of roots of different sweetpotato cuItivars at seedIing stage were analyzed under continuous drought stress simuIated by PEG-6000. [Result] Compared with normal water suppIy treatment （N）, drought treatment （D） decreased significantIy root Iength, root surface area, average root diameter and root voIume of Jishu 21 and Jihei 1; to be specif-ic, compared with Jishu 21, root Iength, root surface area and average root diame-ter of Jihei 1 decreased greatIy, but root voIume of Jihei 1 decreased sIightIy. SOD, POD, APX activities and MDA content of Jishu 21 and Jihei 1 increased, and root vitality of two sweetpotato cuItivars was reduced; to be specific, compared with Jihei 1, Jishu 21 exhibited significantIy improved SOD, POD, APX activities, sIightIy im-proved MDA content and remarkabIy reduced root vitality. IAA, GAs and ZR con-tents of Jishu 21 and Jihei 1 decIined at seedIing stage; ABA content of two sweetpotato cuItivars was improved; to be specific, compared with Jihei 1, IAA, GAs and ZR contents of Jishu 21 were reduced sIightIy, whiIe ABA content of Jishu 21 was improved sIightIy. Under stress conditions, uniconazoIe treatment increased sig-nificantIy root Iength and root surface area of Jihei 1 and increased sIightIy root voIume of Jihei 1 compared with Jishu 21; uniconazoIe treatment increased signifi-cantIy SOD, POD and APX activities and root vitality of Jihei 1 and decIined re-markabIy MDA content of Jihei 1 compared with Jishu 21; uniconazoIe treatment in-creased significantIy IAA, ZR and ABA contents of Jihei 1 compared with Jishu 21. [Conclusion] Drought-toIerant sweetpotato cuItivar Jishu 21 exhibits high pIasma membrane integrity and root vitality by increasing activities of antioxida
