Abiotic stresses including drought are major crop production constraints. However specific functional phenotypic markers induce resistance against these stresses. Therefore a study was initiated to study the variability inheritance and selection of epicuticular waxes (EW) and leaf hairiness (LH) along with low cell membrane injuries (CMI) within F 2 populations derived by crossing H. annuus × H. argophyllus lines. These traits have been shown to be associated with drought tolerance of Helianthus argophyllus and thus study aims to introgress these traits in Helinathus annuus . The studied parent populations showed contrasting values of the traits. The drought susceptible line CMS-14 and CMS-20 showed lower epicuticular waxes (0.79 0.69 mg g −1 ) leaf hairiness (0.75 1.53) and higher cell membrane injury (40.90 55.76 %) respectively while drought resistant line Argo 1802 and 1806 showed higher epicuticular waxes (2.28 3.18) leaf hairiness (3.71 3.80) and lower cell membrane injury (14.22 21.54 %) respectively. The F 1 hybrids had mean values of the three studied parameters i. e. epicuticular waxes (1.50 mg g −1 ) cell membrance injury (32.54 %) and leaf hairiness (2.74) in the range of parent lines but some of F 2 individuals extend beyond this range (Parents and F 1 s). The two-step selections maintained high variability especially of LH for set of F 2 individuals ( H. annuus CMS-20× H. argophyllus 1806). Simultaneous selection of F 2 individuals with high values of LH or EW with low CMI was possible. The selected plants were further studied for narrow leaf high fertility and silver canopy color. Selected material was promoted as the candidate of inbred line. Plant (F 4 ) having introgressed traits (silver canopy) showed lower yield (19 %) than green leafed plants (53 %) and commercial hybrids under drought stress (63 % and 53 %). The study could help to increase the abiotic stress tolerance minimize the yield losses under drought stress and increase functional diversity within sunflower.