Meat and Livestock Australia has tendered for more research into the impact of flouroacetate poisoning in grazing cattle.
It's a toxin that's naturally found in Heartleaf bush of the Desert Uplands of central Queensland and Western Australia and in Georgina Gidgee trees of western Queensland and the eastern Northern Territory.
It's very poisonous to cattle and sheep even if they eat a few leaves, but stock raised in the infested areas can learn to not to eat the plant.
Grazier Margaret House, from central Queensland, says more research would be hugely beneficial.
"If the cattle take more than even one leaf they can simply die, especially when they heat up during mustering or even walking into water. Just the heating up affects them and they keel over and die."
Go to www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/Funding-opportunities/Industry-and-researchers/Current-tenders for more information on the research projects.