Kikuyu is a C4 tropical grass which in Australia is an important component of dairy pastures in many areas of New South Wales, Queensland, parts of Gippsland and in Western Australia under irrigation. Kikuyu poisoning is a rare disease that can affect dairy cattle, causing rapid illness and death. It appears to be associated with grazing kikuyu pastures that are growing rapidly in autumn following a summer drought.

This project aims to investigate anti-nutritional factors of Kikuyu-based pasture, including possible causes and factors affecting Kikuyu poisoning. The concept is to utilise the broad and systematic monitoring of Kikuyu pastures in different regions, plus additional data that will be collected for other objectives, to elucidate the still unknown cause/s of Kikuyu poisoning