What is HGT®?

Why Use HGT^® Technology?

Whether you're managing a sports field, golf course, sod farm, commercial landscape, park, or premium lawn, healthy turf has to do more than simply survive.

It must establish quickly, recover from traffic, resist disease, and maintain exceptional quality throughout the season.

Rather than focusing on a single trait, HGT® combines these essential characteristics into one elite Kentucky bluegrass technology, delivering healthier turf that performs under demanding conditions year after year.

How HGT^® Was Developed

HGT^® wasn't created to improve just one characteristic. Barenbrug's breeders began with exceptionally traffic-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass parent material and evaluated thousands of plants under harsh environmental conditions. The result was a Kentucky bluegrass technology selected for:

1. Rapid germination and establishment
2. Exceptional traffic tolerance
3. Outstanding recovery from wear
4. Broad disease resistance
5. Premium turf quality under stress

Every generation was selected to perform under real-world conditions where turf managers need dependable results. Rather than sacrificing one trait to improve another, HGT^® delivers balanced performance across the characteristics turf professionals value most.

Proven Performance

HGT^® wasn't developed in the lab alone, it was proven under real-world conditions.

Developed from exceptionally traffic-tolerant parent stock and evaluated under harsh climatic conditions, HGT^® has consistently demonstrated outstanding performance in university research. Extensive trials conducted by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) under varying climates and conditions have underscored HGT^®'s superior performance, ranking it No. 1 or within the top statistical group across 16 different Kentucky bluegrass performance traits in the 2005–10 Kentucky bluegrass NTEP trials. These results continue to make HGT^® one of Barenbrug's premier Kentucky bluegrass technologies.

Furthermore, an additional three years of research in the Mid-Atlantic region confirmed its outstanding resistance to diseases, notably Summer Patch and stem rust. After more than a decade of dedicated turfgrass breeding and three years of professional use, HGT^®'s popularity and demand continue to grow each year. Owing to its swift establishment, durability, and recovery capabilities, HGT^® has set a new standard for Kentucky bluegrass sports turf, bluegrass sod production, and golf course fairways and tees.

Unveiling the Power Trio: Traffic Resilience, Rapid Recovery, and Tensile Strength

Our HGT^® Kentucky bluegrasses offer outstanding traffic tolerance and wear recovery. In research studies at Michigan State University, HGT^® was trialed with other high-ranked Kentucky bluegrasses. In the 2010 study of 109 commercial varieties and experimentals, HGT^® was the top-rated variety for wear recovery, percent ground covered, and turf quality. Likewise in the NTEP traffic stress tests, HGT^® topped all other entries at both Michigan State University and Rutgers University trials.

Spring Awakening: The Remarkable Power of Exceptional Green-Up with HGT^®

Early spring green-up is one of the most desirable characteristics of Kentucky bluegrass. While the majority of bluegrasses take their time shaking off the winter slumber, HGT^® is a game-changer with its early arrival in the spring season. In the comprehensive NTEP study conducted in 2005, HGT^® emerged as a top performer, setting it apart from the crowd. This enables our HGT^® blend to rebound with vigor and vitality just in time for spring play and crucial field regrowth. The result is earlier color, faster recovery, and turf that's ready for spring play and field regrowth sooner.

Triumph Over Turf Troubles: No More Grubs and Billbugs, Just Lush, Healthy Grass with HGT^® 

White grubs and billbugs are often the culprits behind the devastation of Kentucky bluegrass turf. HGT^® varieties demonstrated excellent resistance to these common turfgrass insect pests in the 2006–10 NTEP trials. As more communities and facilities move toward reducing or eliminating insecticide applications, HGT^® provides an additional level of natural protection, helping maintain healthier turf while reducing reliance on chemical controls.

Why Turf Managers Choose HGT^®

From sports fields and golf courses to parks and premium lawns, turf professionals choose HGT^® because it delivers:

• Rapid Establishment: Germinates and establishes faster than traditional Kentucky bluegrass, allowing sports fields, golf courses, and sod to reach peak performance sooner.
• Exceptional Traffic Tolerance: Bred from exceptionally traffic-tolerant parent stock to withstand heavy athletic play, maintenance equipment, and everyday wear while maintaining outstanding turf quality.
• Outstanding Wear Recovery: Quickly recovers from traffic damage, helping maintain dense, attractive playing surfaces throughout the growing season.
• Excellent Summer Patch Resistance: Demonstrates exceptional resistance to Summer Patch, one of the most destructive diseases affecting Kentucky bluegrass, while also providing broad resistance to other common turf diseases.
• Early Spring Green-Up: Breaks winter dormancy quickly to deliver earlier color and faster recovery when the growing season begins.
• Premium Turf Quality: Produces dense, fine-textured, dark green turf with the appearance and performance expected from elite Kentucky bluegrass.
• Strong Seedling Vigor: Establishes aggressively to improve early ground cover while helping compete against weeds during establishment.
• Outstanding Insect Resistance: Offers excellent tolerance to damaging pests such as white grubs and billbugs, supporting healthier turf while reducing reliance on insecticide applications.

HGT^® provides us the performance and recovery from start to finish for our two teams.

— Ryan Kaspitzke, Superintendent – Athletic Fields, University of Notre Dame

Even with the real feel in the 100's, the HGT^® is still money!

— Parker Bechen, Cedar Rapids, IA

Experience HGT^® Technology

HGT^® technology powers Barenbrug's premium turf products, delivering healthier, more resilient turf for demanding environments.

• HGT^® Sod

  Premium Kentucky bluegrass sod featuring HGT^® technology for exceptional traffic tolerance, disease resistance, rapid recovery, and beautiful turf.

• Turf Blue^® | HGT^®

  A premium Kentucky bluegrass blend powered by HGT^® technology for aggressive growth, exceptional traffic tolerance, broad disease resistance, and outstanding turf quality.

• Turf Blue^® | HGT^® | RPR^®

  Combining HGT^® Kentucky bluegrass with patented RPR^® perennial ryegrass, this premium blend delivers rapid establishment, regenerative recovery, and elite performance for sports fields and golf courses.

• Turf Saver^® | RTF^® | HGT^®

  A premium tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass blend combining patented RTF^® and HGT^® technologies for self-repairing performance, exceptional traffic tolerance, broad disease resistance, and healthier turf.

Discover how products featuring HGT^® technology can help create healthier, more resilient turf.