Determination of modulated chlorophyll fluorescence coupled to measurements of the net photosynthetic rate (P^) leaf water potential has heen assessed as a screening method to score a set of twenty genotypes of barley {Hordeum vulgare L.) for drought tolerance. These methods can be ušed as rapid screening tests for water stress tolerance in barley, although applied alone they are appropriate indicators for a severe water stress. For genotypes growing under a mild water stress, it is necessary to use several screening tests simultaneously. Drought tolerant genotypes show smaller variations of photochemical quenching, P^, water use efficiency and leaf temperature than the drought sensitive ones.