CHEAT CODE™ remains the #1 performing perennial ryegrass blend in fertilized NTEP locations in the Northeast. The cultivars averaged top 4% NE turf quality & top 7% NE color (NJ+IL+VA) with the highest gray leaf spot rating of any rye blend (8.4/9.0).

For fertilized NTEP locations in the Northeast, CHEAT CODE™ cultivars averaged the highest turf quality of any perennial ryegrass blend on the market (IL+VA+NJ) and also had color that was about 1/2 a point higher than any other perennial ryegrass blend with competitive turf quality.

BLENDS HAVE BEEN RANKED BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE AVERAGE OF ALL PUBLISHED CULTIVARS INCLUDED.  DATA PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THE MOST RECENTLY CONCLUDED NTEP TRIAL (SEE IMAGES).

CHEAT CODE™ contains: Slugger 3GL, Mystique, Portfolio (Perennial Ryegrass)

PRIMARY PERFORMANCE METRICS

TURF QUALITY (NJ+IL+VA)

**  ICV Weighted average  **

      CHEAT CODE™:  6.74 / 9.0

      Iconic*: 6.62 / 9.0

      Knorr Elite*:  6.50 / 9.0

      SS9000: 6.47 / 9.0

      5-Iron*: 6.42 / 9.0

      Fireball+Hatrick:  4.94 / 9.0 (1.8 points lower than CHEAT CODE™... not a competitive blend in our opinion)

 

GENETIC COLOR (NJ+IL... VA not available)

**  ICV Weighted average  **

      Hatrick + Fireball: 8.11 / 9.0 ***

      CHEAT CODE™:  7.79 / 9.0

      5-Iron*:  7.30 / 9.0

      Knorr Elite*:  7.26 / 9.0

      Iconic*: 7.18 / 9.0

      SS9000:  7.13 / 9.0

*** note: the weakest genetics can thin which means more nitrogen per plant... color ratings of the cultivars with the lowest turf quality should be taken with a grain of salt since the color advantage may simply be correlative from the tendency to thin and die (which may bias more nitrogen per plant in the test plots for the very weakest cultivars)

 

SECONDARY PERFORMANCE METRICS

Disease Score™ (Sum of NTEP tables 33-37)

**  ICV WEIGHTED AVG  **

      CHEAT CODE™:  Top 11%

      Iconic*:  Top 22%

      Knorr Elite*:  Top 23%

      5-Iron*:  Top 25%

      SS9000:  Top 32%

      Fireball+Hatrick:  Bottom 8%

Note: regional turf quality is usually a more accurate indicator of climate specific disease performance.  Diseases were tested in specific NTEP locations.

 

Individual Disease Performance (Tables 33-37)

Gray Leaf Spot (Table 37, NJ):

1st: CHEAT CODE™ (8.4)  |  2nd/3rd: Knorr* / 5-Iron* (7.9)  |  4th: Iconic* (7.7)  |  5th: SS9000 (7.0)  |  6th: Fireball+Hatrick (2.2)

95% confidence at a 1.5 difference (LSD)

 

Stem Rust (Table 33, MO):

1st: CHEAT CODE™ (8.1)  |  2nd: Knorr* (8.0)  |  3rd: Iconic* (7.6)  |  4th: SS9000 (7.3)  |  5th: 5-Iron* (7.2)  |  6th: Fireball+Hatrick (5.5)

95% confidence at a 3.0 difference (LSD)

 

Red Thread (Table 34, MD/MO):

1st: Iconic* (7.6)  |  2nd/3rd: CHEAT CODE™ (7.5) / SS9000 (7.5)  |  4th: 5-Iron* (7.3)  |  5th: Fireball+Hatrick (7.2)  |  6th: Knorr* (7.0)

95% confidence at a 1.4 difference (LSD)

 

Brown Patch (Table 35, MN/MO):

1st: CHEAT CODE™ (7.0)  |  2nd: Knorr* (6.8)  |  3rd: Iconic* (6.6)  |  4th/5th: 5-Iron*/SS9000 (6.5)  |  6th: Fireball+Hatrick (6.0)

95% confidence at a 1.4 difference (LSD)

 

Crown Rust (Table 36, MN/MO):

1st: Iconic* (7.1)  |  2nd: CHEAT CODE™ (6.7)  |  3rd/4th/5th: Knorr*/5-Iron*/SS9000 (6.5)  |  6th: Fireball+Hatrick: (3.8)

95% confidence at a 1.7 difference (LSD)

 

Pink Snow Mold (Table 38):

1st: Knorr* (5.2)  |  2nd: Iconic* (5.1)  |  3rd/4th CHEAT CODE™ / Fireball+Hatrick (5.0)  |  5th: 5-Iron* (4.8)  |  6th: SS9000 (4.3)

 

TRAFFIC & WEAR SCORE™

      5-Iron*:  Top 15%

      CHEAT CODE™:  Top 16%

      Iconic*:  Top 17%

      SS9000:  Top 17%

      Knorr Elite*:  Top 28%

      Fireball+Hatrick:  Bottom 16%

 

Percent Poa Annua After ≈ 5 Years

**  Context: NJ - NTEP 2021  **

      CHEAT CODE™, SS9000, & Iconic*:  1.7%

      5-IRON*:  2.0%

      Knorr Elite*:  3.6%

      Fireball+Hatrick:  20.9%

 

Divot Recovery (AKA: Self Repair, Context: KY)

      Iconic*:  Top 23%

      Knorr Elite*:  Top 29%

      5-Iron*:  Top 34%

      CHEAT CODE™:  Top 46%

      **  Mystique is slightly stoloniferous  **

      SS9000:  Top 46%

      Fireball+Hatrick:  Bottom 4%

 

Low Input Score™ (60% FROM UTAH DROUGHT TESTING)

**  See Specialty Performance Data spreadsheet for calculation  **

      CHEAT CODE™:  TOP 3%

      Iconic*:  Top 8%

      SS9000:  Top 10%        

      5-Iron*:  Top 14%

      Podium™:  TOP 17%

      Knorr Elite*:  Top 17%

      Fireball+Hatrick:  BOTTOM 32%

 

See images for seed rate chart with seeding tips.

 

 

Competitor blend performance averages are based on the following published cultivars (note: this cultivar list is not guaranteed to be up to date... last checked March 21st, 2026):

 

5-Iron (United Seeds): Apple 3GL, Fastball 3GL, Slugger 3GL, Stellar 4GL, Infusion* (JR-178 test name)

SS9000 (SeedSuperStore): Grand Slam GLD, Stellar 4GL, Slugger 3GL

Knorr Elite (Ryan Knorr's Website): Electra GLR, Paradox GLR, Pangea*

Iconic (United Seeds): Stellar 4GL, Slugger 3GL, Homerun LS, Torsion* (Torsion exempt from averaging due to no NTEP data)

 

*  The performance of one older cultivar in Knorr (Pangea) and one older cultivar in 5-Iron (Infusion, test name JR-178) has been translated by sorting the 2011-2014 NTEP trial data into a percentile among all cultivars in that trial on a trait by trait basis.  The rating of the cultivar at the same percentile in the newer trial was then assigned to the older cultivar trait by trait.  No deduction was made for ≈6 years of breeding so the translation is believed to be slightly generous.  These numbers are intended to estimate performance as accurately as possible but it should be considered an estimate only.  The slightly older infusion cultivar was exempt from averaging for 5-Iron and the slightly older Pangea cultivar was exempt from averaging for Knorr for the Low Input Score trait due to difficulty of translation.  The Torsion cultivar in Iconic LS was exempt from all averaging since no NTEP data is available.

 

 

Disclaimer: Seed-Boss makes no guarantee of performance in your climate or under your management practices.  If the grass seed does not germinate the buyer acknowledges improper seed to soil contact, improper soil moisture during germination phase, and/or inappropriate soil temperatures and agrees to not blame the seed (since seed was tested as good).

If you notice anything inaccurate or that could be improved for accuracy, please email us at SUPPORT@SEED-BOSS.COM.  Our aim is the highest degree of accuracy possible and that process includes peer review.