<p>Yard long bean (YB) is of significant importance in legumes. The present study assesses the drought tolerance of F₃ seeds of YB using polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress during the germination stage. The study was carried out using five superior F₃ genotypes (F₃-1, F₃-2, F₃₋3, F₃-4, and F₃-5) in a two-factorial completely randomized design during 2023-24. The recorded parameters included germination percentage, shoot and root lengths, vigor index, and shoot and root length stress tolerance indices. Water scarcity resulted in an overall reduction in the germination process and the growth of seedlings. Biochemical profiling of proline and chlorophyll at the flowering stage exhibited significant variation among the genotypes. Under field evaluation, progeny-1, progeny-2, and progeny-3 from F₃-1 showed high mean yield and other related parameters. These results will help the development of the most suitable drought tolerance genotype in further breeding programs.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>