The physiological response of winter wheat under short-term drought conditions and the sensitivity of different indices to soil water changes

•The physiological response of winter wheat is reversible and it recovers after two weeks of re-watering.•Leaf functional indices under drought and re-watering can reflect the soil moisture status.•The activity of SOD and content of Pro are very sensitive to changes in soil moisture (ROC analysis, AUC=0.7-1.0).•Significant correlation exists among SOD, Pro, yield and water use efficiency.