People_
Professor Luciano Gonzalez
Nancy Roma Paech Chair in Sustainable Livestock Production
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Address
C02F - Centre for Carbon, Water and Food
The University of Sydney
Details
Member of Sydney Institute of Agriculture
Professor Luciano González has a BSc in Agronomic Engineering (Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina), and MSc and PhD in Animal Production (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain). Luciano held positions CSIRO in Townsville (research scientist, Division of Livestock Industries), University of Manitoba (Assistant Professor in Sustainable Grasslands and Livestock Production Systems, Canada), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a postdoctoral research fellow (Lethbridge Research Centre), and Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Lecturer in Animal Production, Spain).
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Prof González is interested in improving the sustainability, profitability and productivity of livestock enterprises along with animal welfare and rural life. Luciano believes this can be achieved with the development of new and innovative technologies and methodologies to improve farm management.
Prof González is the leader of The Livestock in Future Landscapes Program which seeks to understand how livestock interact with the environment and how these interactions determine the efficiency of production (growth, reproduction), environmental sustainability, animal health and welfare. New information of livestock in landscapes can be used to improve grazing land management, livestock productivity, animal breeding, and to develop management systems that optimise the efficiency of resource utilisation and adapt to climate variability and climate change. The ‘landscape’ includes extensive grazing systems (rangelands, pastoral), intensive high-rainfall grazing systems, mixed crop-livestock production systems, and intensive feeding enterprises (feedlots). The Livestock in Future Landscapes Program aims to contribute new knowledge on natural resource management, sustainability, and adaptation and mitigation to climate change. Luciano also works towards improving animal welfare of production animals through remote monitoring and management of animals, automatic detection of diseases, improving survival or livestock, and management of invasive husbandry procedures such as castration.
Some of the technologies under development by Luciano include: automatic weighing stations to measure animal production and welfare, sensors to remotely monitor animal location, movement and behaviour across the landscape to study animal-environment-management interactions, infrared thermography to measure body temperature of animals, sensors to measure greenhouse emissions from livestock, technologies to measure feed intake, and 3D scanners and lasers to measure body condition in relation to animal welfare, meat quality and reproduction. Environmental sensors include weather stations, soil and water sensors, satellite imagery and optical sensors to measure vegetation type and abundance.
Data collected by animal and environmental sensors are integrated through mathematical models, machine learning and data analytics to develop decision support tools that improve the precision of decision-making and the efficiency of utilization of natural resources. These technologies also help Luciano to understand underlying mechanisms and function of livestock production systems.
Other areas of research of Luciano Gonzalez include livestock metabolomics for applications to understand and improve animal nutrition, management and biology of livestock diseases, inform genetic selection of animals, develop objectives measurements of animal stress, health and welfare.
A/Prof González teaches in the following courses:
- ANSC3888: Production Systems Analysis - Animal Production major Interdisciplinary Project Unit (Unit of Study Coordinator)
- AGRO4005 / AVBS3010: Livestock Production Systems (Unit of Study Coordinator)
- AGRO4006: New and Emerging Technologiesin Animal Science (Unit of Study Coordinator)
- ANSC3106: Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science
- ABVS1002: Concepts in Animal Management
Teaching and research interests
- Animal Production
- Greenhouse Emissions from Livestock Systems
- Animal Welfare
- Animal Nutrition
- Modelling Livestock Production Systems
- Digital Agriculture, Sensors and New Technologies in Animal Production
- Livestock metabolomics
| Project title | Research student |
|---|---|
| Examination and validation of multiple diagnostic modalities for bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle, and development of a predictive model for risk of bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle | Tony BATTERHAM |
| New technologies and mathematical modelling to predict maximum profit endpoints of Australian feedlot cattle | Jill BURGESS |
| Development of a low-cost methane sensor for cattle and analysis of whole-farm greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms | Mulisa DIDA |
| Leveraging Data Science For Livestock Management In Feedlot | Ning HAN |
| Remote monitoring technologies to improve profitability of feedlot cattle | Madison LUKE |
| Utilising walk over weighing technologies to evaluate live weight growth and mortality in sheep. | Greg SAWYER |
Publications
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Book Chapters
- Avijit, D., Lailer, P., Dahiya, S., Gonzalez, L. (2025). Plant Bio-Actives from Agroforestry Systems in Improving Livestock Health, Production, and Methane Mitigation. In Apple Academic Press (Eds.), Bioprospecting Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources: Sustainable Utilization and Restoration.. NewYork: CRC Press.
- Gonzalez, L., Chang Fung Martel, J., Imaz, J. (2023). Smart Nutrition of Extensively Kept Ruminants. In Ilias Kyriazakis (Eds.), Smart Livestock Nutrition, (pp. 269-309). Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland. [More Information]
Journals
- Jaddoa, M., Zaidan, A., Gonzalez, L., Deveci, M., Cuthbertson, H., Al-Jumaily, A., Kadry, S. (2024). An approach-based machine learning and automated thermal images to predict the dark-cutting incidence in cattle management of healthcare supply chain. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 135.
- Jaddoa, M., Zaidan, A., Gonzalez, L., Deveci, M., Cuthbertson, H., Al Jumaily, A., Kadry, S. (2024). An approach-based machine learning and automated thermal images to predict the dark-cutting incidence in cattle management of healthcare supply chain. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 135, 108804. [More Information]
- Dida, M., Garcia, S., Gonzalez, L. (2024). Dietary concentrate supplementation increases milk production and reduces predicted greenhouse gas emission intensity in pasture-based commercial dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science, 107(8), 5639-5652. [More Information]
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Conferences
- Jaddoa, M., Gonzalez, L., Cuthbertson, H., Al-Jumaily, A. (2020). Multi View Face Detection in Cattle Using Infrared Thermography. 1st International Conference on Applied Computing Research to Support Industry: Innovation and Technology, ACRIT 2019, Cham: Springer Nature. [More Information]
- Jaddoa, M., Al-Jumaily, A., Gonzalez, L., Cuthbertson, H. (2019). Automatic temperature measurement for hot spots in face region of cattle using infrared thermography. 16th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (ICINCO 2019), Prague: SciTePress. [More Information]
- Jaddoa, M., Al-Jumaily, A., Gonzalez, L., Cuthbertson, H. (2018). Automatic eyes localization in thermal images for temperature measurement in cattle. 12th International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Knowledge Engineering (ISKE 2017), Danvers: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). [More Information]
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Report
- Gonzalez, L., Denardou-Tisserand, A. (2014). Development of an automatic and non-invasive technique to measure body condition of cattle using a LiDAR.
- Gonzalez, L., Darnell, R., Shah, R. (2013). Improving accuracy and reducing uncertainty of current prediction models of methane emissions in Northern Beef.
- Chaabouni, R., Gonzalez, L. (2013). Methodology to use infrared thermography to measure body temperature on cattle and its applications.
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2025
- Avijit, D., Lailer, P., Dahiya, S., Gonzalez, L. (2025). Plant Bio-Actives from Agroforestry Systems in Improving Livestock Health, Production, and Methane Mitigation. In Apple Academic Press (Eds.), Bioprospecting Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources: Sustainable Utilization and Restoration.. NewYork: CRC Press.
2024
- Jaddoa, M., Zaidan, A., Gonzalez, L., Deveci, M., Cuthbertson, H., Al-Jumaily, A., Kadry, S. (2024). An approach-based machine learning and automated thermal images to predict the dark-cutting incidence in cattle management of healthcare supply chain. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 135.
- Jaddoa, M., Zaidan, A., Gonzalez, L., Deveci, M., Cuthbertson, H., Al Jumaily, A., Kadry, S. (2024). An approach-based machine learning and automated thermal images to predict the dark-cutting incidence in cattle management of healthcare supply chain. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 135, 108804. [More Information]
- Dida, M., Garcia, S., Gonzalez, L. (2024). Dietary concentrate supplementation increases milk production and reduces predicted greenhouse gas emission intensity in pasture-based commercial dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science, 107(8), 5639-5652. [More Information]
2023
- Coombs, C., Allman, B., Morton, E., Godoy Gimeno, M., Horadagoda, N., Tarr, G., Gonzalez, L. (2023). A preliminary investigation into the automatic detection of diseased sheep organs using hyperspectral imaging sensors. Smart Agricultural Technology, 3(February 2023), 100122-1-100122-. [More Information]
- Ambrose, R., Blakebrough-Hall, C., Gravel, J., Gonzalez, L., Mahony, T. (2023). Characterisation of the Upper Respiratory Tract Virome of Feedlot Cattle and Its Association with Bovine Respiratory Disease. Viruses, 15(2), 455-1-455-21. [More Information]
- Gonzalez, L., Carvalho, J., Kuinchtner, B., Dona, A., Baruselli, P., D'Occhio, M. (2023). Plasma metabolomics reveals major changes in carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism of abruptly weaned beef calves. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 8176. [More Information]
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2022
- Coombs, C., Allman, B., Morton, E., Godoy Gimeno, M., Horadagoda, N., Tarr, G., Gonzalez, L. (2022). Differentiation of Livestock Internal Organs Using Visible and Short-Wave Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging Sensors. Sensors, 22(3347), 1-16. [More Information]
- Blakebrough-Hall, C., Hick, P., Mahony, T., Gonzalez, L. (2022). Factors associated with bovine respiratory disease case fatality in feedlot cattle. Journal of Animal Science, 100(1), 1-9. [More Information]
- Rhodes, E., Perotto-Baldivieso, H., Reeves, M., Gonzalez, L. (2022). Perspectives on the Special Issue for Applications of Remote Sensing for Livestock and Grazingland Management. Remote Sensing, 14(1882), 1-11. [More Information]
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2021
- Pearson, C., Filippi, P., Lush, L., Gonzalez, L. (2021). Automated behavioural monitoring allows assessment of the relationships between cow and calf behaviour and calves' survivability and performance. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 245, 105493. [More Information]
- Chang, A., Imaz, J., Gonzalez, L. (2021). Calf Birth Weight Predicted Remotely Using Automated in-Paddock Weighing Technology. Animals, 11(5), 1254. [More Information]
- Coombs, C., Fajardo Pedraza, M., Gonzalez, L. (2021). Comparison of smartphone and lab-grade NIR spectrometers to measure chemical composition of lamb and beef. Animal Production Science, 61(16), 1723-1733. [More Information]
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2020
- Blakebrough-Hall, C., McMeniman, J., Gonzalez, L. (2020). An evaluation of the economic effects of bovine respiratory disease on animal performance, carcass traits, and economic outcomes in feedlot cattle defined using four BRD diagnosis methods. Journal of Animal Science, 98(2), 1-11. [More Information]
- Connolly, S., Dona, A., Hamblin, D., D'Occhio, M., Gonzalez, L. (2020). Changes in the blood metabolome of Wagyu crossbred steers with time in the feedlot and relationships with marbling. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 18987. [More Information]
- Blakebrough-Hall, C., Dona, A., D'Occhio, M., McMeniman, J., Gonzalez, L. (2020). Diagnosis of Bovine Respiratory Disease in feedlot cattle using blood 1H NMR metabolomics. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 115. [More Information]
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2019
- Imaz, J., Garcia, S., Gonzalez, L. (2019). Application of In-Paddock Technologies to Monitor Individual Self-Fed Supplement Intake and Liveweight in Beef Cattle. Animals, 10(1), 1-12. [More Information]
- Jaddoa, M., Al-Jumaily, A., Gonzalez, L., Cuthbertson, H. (2019). Automatic temperature measurement for hot spots in face region of cattle using infrared thermography. 16th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (ICINCO 2019), Prague: SciTePress. [More Information]
- Nordi, W., Marti, S., Gellatly, D., Melendez, D., Gonzalez, L., McAllister, T., Fierheller, E., Caulkett, N., Janzen, E., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K. (2019). Effect of preemptive flunixin meglumine and lidocaine on behavioral and physiological indicators of pain post-band and knife castration in 6-mo-old beef calves. Livestock Science, 230, 1-9. [More Information]
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2018
- Gonzalez-Garcia, E., Alhamada, M., Pradel, J., Douls, S., Parisot, S., Bocquier, F., Menassol, J., Llach, I., Gonzalez, L. (2018). A mobile and automated walk-over-weighing system for a close and remote monitoring of liveweight in sheep. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 153, 226-238. [More Information]
- Gonzalez-Garcia, E., de Oliveira Golini, P., Hassoun, P., Bocquier, F., Hazard, D., Gonzalez, L., Ingham, A., Bishop-Hurley, G., Greenwood, P. (2018). An assessment of Walk-over-Weighing to estimate short-term individual forage intake in sheep. Animal, 12(6), 1174-1181. [More Information]
- Jaddoa, M., Al-Jumaily, A., Gonzalez, L., Cuthbertson, H. (2018). Automatic eyes localization in thermal images for temperature measurement in cattle. 12th International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Knowledge Engineering (ISKE 2017), Danvers: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). [More Information]
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2017
- Mohammadi, V., Ghasemi-Varnamkhasti, M., Gonzalez, L. (2017). Analytical measurements of ultrasound propagation in dairy products: A review. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 61, 38-48. [More Information]
- Madruga, A., Mainau, E., Gonzalez, L., Rodriguez-Prado, M., Ruz De La Torre, J., Manteca, X., Ferret, A. (2017). Effect of forage source included in total mixed ration on intake, sorting and feeding behavior of growing heifers fed high-concentrate diets. Journal of Animal Science, 95(8), 3322-3330. [More Information]
- Madruga, A., Mainau, E., Gonzalez, L., Rodriguez-Prado, M., Ruz De La Torre, J., Manteca, X., Ferret, A. (2017). Technical note: Recording rules for behavioral studies in growing heifers fed high-concentrate diets. Journal of Animal Science, 95(6), 2339-2344. [More Information]
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2016
- Handcock, R., Gobbett, D., Gonzalez, L., Bishop-Hurley, G., McGavin, S. (2016). A pilot project combining multispectral proximal sensors and digital cameras for monitoring tropical pastures. Biogeosciences, 13(16), 4673-4695. [More Information]
- Greenwood, P., Bishop-Hurley, G., Gonzalez, L., Ingham, A. (2016). Development and application of a livestock phenomics platform to enhance productivity and efficiency at pasture. Animal Production Science, 56(8), 1299-1311. [More Information]
- Mishra, S., Thakur, N., Somal, A., Parmar, M., Yadav, V., Bharati, J., Bharti, M., Paul, A., Verma, M., Chouhan, V., Gonzalez, L., D'Occhio, M., et al (2016). Expression and localization of angiopoietin family in buffalo ovarian follicles during different stages of development and modulatory role of angiopoietins on steroidogenesis and survival of cultured buffalo granulosa cells. Theriogenology, 86(7), 1818-1833. [More Information]
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2015
- Gonzalez, L., Bishop-Hurley, G., Handcock, R., Crossman, C. (2015). Behavioral classification of data from collars containing motion sensors in grazing cattle. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 110, 91-102. [More Information]
- Goldhawk, C., Janzen, E., Gonzalez, L., Crowe, T., Kastelic, J., Kehler, C., Siemens, M., Ominski, K., Pajor, E., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K. (2015). Trailer temperature and humidity during winter transport of cattle in Canada and evaluation of indicators used to assess the welfare of cull beef cows before and after transport1. Journal of Animal Science, 93, 3639-3653. [More Information]
2014
- Goldhawk, C., Crowe, T., Gonzalez, L., Janzen, E., Kastelic, J., Pajor, E., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K. (2014). Comparison of eight logger layouts for monitoring animal-level temperature and humidity during commercial feeder cattle transport. Journal of Animal Science, 92(9), 4161-4171. [More Information]
- Gonzalez, L., Denardou-Tisserand, A. (2014). Development of an automatic and non-invasive technique to measure body condition of cattle using a LiDAR.
- Moya, D., Gonzalez, L., Janzen, E., Caulkett, N., Fierheller, E., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K. (2014). Effects of castration method and frequency of intramuscular injections of ketoprofen on behavioral and physiological indicators of pain in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science, 92(4), 1684-1695. [More Information]
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2013
- Handcock, R., Gobbett, D., Gonzalez, L., Bishop-Hurley, G. (2013). Accuracy of multi-spectral proximal sensors for monitoring grazed tropical pastures. COST Action ES0903 EUROSPEC Final Conference, Trento, Italy.
- O'Neill, C., Ramirez-Restrepo, C., Gonzalez, L. (2013). Breed, environment and management factors affecting diet selection and growth of steers. Northern Beef Research Update Conference 2013, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
- Gonzalez, L., Clerc, A., O'Neill, C. (2013). Can Infrared temperature of cattle detect differences due to breed and rangeland environment. Northern Beef Research Update Conference 2013, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
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2012
- Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Fierheller, E., Caulkett, N., Janzen, E., Pajor, E., Gonzalez, L., Moya, D. (2012). Achieving pain control for routine management procedures in North American beef cattle. Animal Frontiers, 2(3), 52-58. [More Information]
- Gonzalez, L., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Bryan, M., Silasi, R., Brown, F. (2012). Benchmarking study of industry practices during commercial long haul transport of cattle in Alberta, Canada. Journal of Animal Science, 90(10), 3606-3617. [More Information]
- Rodriguez-Prado, M., Ferret, A., Zwieten, J., Gonzalez, L., Bravo, D., Calsamiglia, S. (2012). Effects of dietary addition of capsicum extract on intake, water consumption, and rumen fermentation of fattening heifers fed a high-concentrate diet. Journal of Animal Science, 90(6), 1879-1884. [More Information]
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2011
- Gonzalez, L., Bishop-Hurley, G., McGavin, S., Crossman, C., Charmley, E. (2011). Automatic monitoring of cattle behaviour to assess the relationships with performance in the rangelands. Northern Beef Research Update Conference 2011, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia: North Australia Beef Research Council.
- Chapolard, O., Gonzalez, L. (2011). Development of methods to measure feeding behaviour of grazing cattle using new technologies.
- Moya, D., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Gonzalez, L., Caulkett, N., Fierheller, E., Janzen, E. (2011). Effect of a multiple intramuscular injection of ketoprofen on physiological and behavioural indicators of pain in beef calves following surgical or band castration. Canadian Society of Animal Science (CSAS/SCSA) Annual Meeting 2011, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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2010
- Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Gonzalez, L. (2010). Benchmarking study of current transport practices in the Alberta beef industry.
- Gonzalez, L., Rawluk, C. (2010). Can we improve pasture management using information from space? - Cattle Country - Manitoba Cattle Producers Association.
- Gonzalez, L., Rawluk, C. (2010). Can we improve pasture management using information from space? - Forage Focus July 2010 - Manitoba Forage Council.
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2009
- Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Gonzalez, L., Gibb, D., McAllister, T. (2009). Application of feeding behaviour as an indicator of pain and morbidity in feedlot cattle. ADSA-CSAS-ASAS Joint Annual Meeting 2009, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Gonzalez, L., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Bryan, M., Silasi, R., Brown, F. (2009). Bench marking study of current transport practices in the Alberta beef industry Final Report - Alberta Beef Producers (ABP), Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund (ALIDF) and Alberta Farm Animal Care Assoc. (AFAC).
- Gallardo, F., Lloreta, J., GarcÃa, F., Moll, X., Baró, T., Gonzalez, L., Moróte, J., Reventós, J., Mogas, T. (2009). Immunolocalization of androgen receptors, estrogen α receptors, and estrogen β receptors in experimentally induced canine prostatic hyperplasia. Journal Of Andrology, 30(3), 240-247. [More Information]
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2008
- Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Gonzalez, L., Bryan, M., Silasi, R., Paranhos da Costa, M., Huertas, S., Brown, F. (2008). Bench marking of current transport pracices for feeder and fat cattle in Alberta. Canadian Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting CSAS 2008, Canada: Canadian Society of Animal Science.
- Gonzalez, L., Tolkamp, B., Coffey, M., Ferret, A., Kyriazakis, I. (2008). Changes in Feeding Behavior as Possible Indicators for the Automatic Monitoring of Health Disorders in Dairy Cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 91(3), 1017-1028. [More Information]
- Gonzalez, L., Tolkamp, B., Coffey, M., Ferret, A., Kyriazakis, I. (2008). Early detection of health disorders in dairy cows based on changes in feeding behaviour. Annual Conference of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) 2008, United Kingdom: British Society of Animal Science.
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Selected Grants
2022
- Lick-blocks for methane mitigation and production in grazing cattle, Gonzalez L, Meat and Livestock Australia Ltd/Research and Development Grant
2020
- Australian Optimal Carcass Endpoint and Sorting System Development, Gonzalez L, Tedeschi L, Meat and Livestock Australia Ltd/Research and Development Grant
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Selected Client Commissioned Research and Donations
- 2019. Luciano A. González, Alex McBratney, Budiman Minasny, and Feike Dijkstra. Whole system greenhouse balance of Australian livestock production. Anonymous Donations.
- 2019. Luciano González. Novel feed supplements to reduce greenhouse emissions from ruminants and improve productivity and animal welfare. Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and private sector.
- 2016. Luciano González and Michael D’Occhio. Project Pioneer: improving environmental management through adoption of new technologies in beef farms in the Great Barrier Reef Basin. World Wildlife Fund.
- 2015. Luciano González and Michael D’Occhio. 2016. Sustainable increase of livestock productivity in the Australian Rangelands. Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and private sector.
- 2014. Luciano González and Beverley Henry. Development of seasonal live and live weight models for cattle in the Rangelands of Australia for a methodology of methane emissions estimations. Australian Department of Environment.