Unpredictable rainfall, rising temperatures, and consumption by increasing urban populations often are limiting the water available for managing and sustaining turfgrasses. In this presentation, the reasons for slow advancements in drought tolerance of turfgrasses will be explained. The difficulties stem from basic mechanisms imbedded in the physiology of plants and water loss rates being dictated by unmanageable vapor pressure deficits. Research results will be used to show the basis for recent progress in lowering transpiration using ‘plant health’ chemistry. The hurdles that must be overcome for further advances will be discussed. Click here to view the presentation.