In order to observe the degree and response of drought-resistance and its physiological mechanism in barley and wheat seedling stage, 5 species (16 cultivars) were tested for the changes of nitrate reductase and protease activity and the accumulation of free proline, by being subjected to water stress by withholding watering for 8 days at 10 days (at the 3rd leaf stage) after emergence and by imposing water stress to the excised first leaf by polyethyleneglycol solution (osmotic potential, -20 bars) for 48 hours. The average rate of decrease of all cultivars was 42% in nitrate reductase activity and 73% in protease activity. But proline content in water stress was increased 10 folds more than that of control. The decrease4 rate of nitrate reductase activity in 5 species was in the order of wheat < rye < covered barley < naked barley < two-row barley: wheat being the lowest. The decreased rate of protease activity in 5 species was in the order of wheat > rye > two-row barley > covered barley > naked barley: wheat being the" heighest. The accumulated amount of free proline in 5 species by water stress was in the order of wheat > covered barley > rye > naked barley > two-row barley. And the increased ratio (folds) of free proline of water stress to control was in the order of rye(13) > wheat. covered barley(11) > naked barley(99) > two-row barley(7): rye being the highest. In terms of the enzymatic activity and the physiotically adaptive metabolism during the processing leading to drought-resistance, the degree of drought-resistance of 5 species to water stress at seedling stage was shown to be in the order of wheat > rye > covered barley > naked barley > two-row barley.