Urochloa eminii, commonly known as Congo grass, is a species of forage crop in the family Poaceae that is grown throughout the humid tropics.

[1] With the aid of genomic tools to research the genotype and gain more information there is the ability to increase breeding programs which are currently rather limited.

[2] Urochloa eminii is a tufted grass, that grows as a creeping perennial with short rhizomes that form a dense leafy cover over the ground.

Stems of the plant arise from many-noded creeping shoots and short rhizomes and then when fully grown reach a height of 1.5 m when flowering.

[3] Native to Burundi, Rwanda and eastern DR Congo, from which it derives its common name, this forage crop has now been naturalised throughout the humid tropics.

[4] Congo grass does have certain stress tolerances that are disadvantages to poor farmers and breeding these out in the future would add significant value to this crop.

[1] Very little breeding has occurred current, but research into microsatellite markers could lead to further developments in genetic stocks and diversification of the crop.

[4] With large proportions of the tropics grazing their cattle, a forage crop like this that proves better than most other species of the genus Urochloa could have significant advantages to poor farmers.

Due to the almost complete lack of information that currently exists regarding Congo grass and its genome, there is little to support breeding programs for the crop.