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Seedling establishment of dryland crops in semiarid and and zones is limited by precipitation. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.) generally is sown in dry soil in the dryland regions of Israel before the rainy season starts. We compared the effects of no-tillage, conventional tillage, and plant growth regulators on wheat seedling growth to identify the optimal crop management system for seedling establishment in dryland farming. Experiments were conducted during 1998 and 1999 at the Gilat Experimental Station located in southern Israel (annual precipitation of 222 and 72 mm for 1998 and 1999, respectively; soil type is sandy loam loess-Torrifluvents). Neither inhibitors of gibberellin synthesis (chlorocoline chloride, paclobutrazol, and trinexapac-ethyl) nor monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4) enhanced seedling survival under drought stress when sprayed on seedlings at the two-leaf stage. No-tillage led to increases in water content in the upper (0-30 cm) soil layer and in seedling water content and seedling biomass. No-tillage management also maintained seedling viability compared with the control, with seedlings surviving as long as 35 d without precipitation. No-tillage management allows successful seedling establishment and growth after a dry period that follows germination.