Biometry is the application of statistics to a wide range of topics in biology. In my case I designed experiments, analyzed results, and interpreted what those results meant in the fields of agricultural science, genetics, and wildlife biology for many years.
I have been author or co-author of many scientific papers which were published in scientific journals, though you might notice that I was rarely the senior author. That honor went to the initiator of the research, although it was often the biometrician (third or fourth author) who made sense of rather garbled aims and intentions, suggested a sensible design (experimental procedure) to meet those aims, analyzed the results, and told the scientists what the results meant. Sometimes I even wrote the paper. Biometricians are experts in running experiments (in any field of biology) and saying what the results mean, so we can get involved in a bewildering array of scientific subjects .
I was Biometrician, Senior Biometrician and Regional Biometrician for the NSW Department of Agriculture from 1967 until 1991. At first I was based in the Head Office in Sydney, and travelled around NSW to various research stations as a visiting consultant biometrician. Then in 1977 I was transferred to the Wollongbar Agricultural Research Institute, headquarters of the North Coast Region, near Lismore, and I worked from there very happily until 1991 when I decided on a change of career.
That was when I joined the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service in Canberra as Coordinator and Project Officer of the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme, and I worked there until my retirement in 2001.
The list below represents my scientific publications from my years with the NSW Ag Department.
Publications
– Scientific Journals
Balaam, L.N., Belinda Dettmann
and H.J. Moss (1968). The effect of variety and environment of wheat on the
volume of test loaves moulded by hand and by machine. Aust. J. Agric. Res.9,
203.
Fripp, Yvonne and E. Belinda
Dettmann (1970). Thiabendazole as a postharvest treatment against Sclerotinea fructicola in dessert
peaches. Aust. J. Exptl. Agric. And Anim.
Husb.9, 9-11.
Scott, J.M., L.O. Smith, D.G.
Dunsmore and E.B. Dettmann (1975). Comparison of cleaning systems for farm bulk
milk tanks. Aust. J. Dairy Technol.32 (1), 29-34.
Benson, R.J. and E.B. Dettmann
(1977). The New South Wales Mastitis Control program. 3. The effect on
production and economics. Aust. Vet.
Journ.53, 538-541.
Dunsmore, D.J., C. Nuzum and
B. Dettmann (1977). Iodophors and iodine in dairy products. 3. Teat dipping. Aust. J. Dairy Technol.32, 45-50.
Barlow, R., E. Belinda
Dettmann, and L.G. Williams (1978). Factors affecting pre-weaning growth and
weaning conformation of Angus cattle. Aust.
J. Agric. Res.29, 359-371.
Barlow, R. and E. Belinda
Dettmann (1978). Genetic and phenotypic parameters for pre-weaning growth and
weaning conformation of Angus cattle. Aust.
J. Agric. Res. 29, 373-379.
Hoare, R.J.T., D.J. Critchley,
E.B. Dettmann, R.F. Sheldrake and L.R. Fell (1979). Mastitis control: A survey
of farm practices and their relationships to bulk milk cell counts. Aust. J. Dairy Technol. 34, 91.96.
Lewis C.E., E.B, Dettmann and
W. Battye (1979). The use of taste panels in evaluating the maturity of NSW
avocados. Food Technol. In Aust.31, 394-396.
Giles, L.R., P.J. Ryan, D.K.
Watchman and E. Belinda Dettmann (1983). Prediction of the weight of lean and
fat yield in bacon weight carcasses. A comparison of predictors used in commercial
pig carcase classifications. Meat Science.
8, 21-32.
Batterham, E.S., L.R. Giles
and E. Belinda Dettmann (1985). Amino acid and energy interactions in growing
pigs. 1. Effects of food intake, sex and live weight on the response of growing
pigs to lysine concentration. Anim. Prod.
40, 331-343.
Giles, L.R., E.S. Batterham
and E. Belinda Dettmann (1986). Amino acid and energy interactions in growing
pigs. 2. Effects of food intake, sex and live weight on the responses to lysine
concentration in barley-based diets. Anim.
Prod. 42, 133-134.
Giles, L.R. E.S. Batterham, E.
Belinda Dettmann and R.F. Lowe (1987). ). Amino acid and energy interactions in
growing pigs. 3. Effects of food intake and live weight on the response to
dietary lysine concentration when fed ad
libitum or to a restricted food scale on diets based on wheat or barley. Anim. Prod. 45, 493-502.
Allen, R.N., E, Belinda
Dettmann, G.G. Johns and D.W. Turner (1988). Estimation of leaf emergence rate
in bananas. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 39, 53-62.
Huett, D.O. and E. Belinda
Dettmann (1988). Effect of nitrogen on growth, fruit quality and nutrient
uptake of tomatoes grown in sand culture. Aust.
J. Exptl. Agric. 28, 391-399.
Giles, L.R., E. Belinda
Dettmann and R.F. Lowe (1988). Influence of diurnally fluctuating high
temperatures on growth and energy retention in growing pigs. Anim. Prod. 47, 467-474.
Broadbent, Patricia T., T.
Trochoulias, D.R. Baigent, T.S. Abbot and E. Belinda Dettmann (1989). Effect of
soil management on avocados in a kraznozem soil Scientia Horticulturae. 38,
87-104.
Huett, D.O. and E. Belinda
Dettmann (1989) Effect of nitrogen on growth, quality and nutrient uptake of
cabbages grown in sand culture. Aust. J.
Exp. Agric. 29, 875-881.
Spence, S.A., K.W. McDougall
and E. Belinda Dettmann (1990). The use of lot-feeding to enhance the reduction
of BHC residues in cattle. Aust. Vet. J.
67(10), 383.
Allen R.N. and E. Belinda
Dettmann (1990). Production of conidia and appressoria by Cordana johnstonii on banana.
Mycological research. 94(6),
815-919.
Huett, D.O. and E. Belinda
Dettmann (1991). Nitrogen response surface models of zucchini squash, head
lettuce and potato. 1. Effect of N on growth, dry matter partitioning and on
fresh yield and quality. Plant and Soil.
134, 243-254.
Huett D.O. and
Dettmann B. (1992). Nutrient uptake and partitioning by zucchini squash head
lettuce and potato in response to nitrogen. Australian
Journal Of Agricultural Research.43(7):
1653-1665.
Trochoulias, T and Dettmann, B. (1992).
Effect of plant spacing on tea (Camellia
sinensis L.) yield at Wollongbar, New South Wales. Aust. J.Exp. Agr. 32(6): 781-783
Dettmann, E.
Belinda and P.S. Stace (1991). Honeybees as pollinators in macadamia orchards. Final
Report to Honeybee Research and Development Council (Australia).
Ketaren, P.P.,
E.S, Batterham, E, Belinda Dettmann and D.J. Farrell. (1993). Assessing
phosphorus availability for pigs and rats. Brit.
J. Nutr. 70, 269-288.
Ketaren, P.P.,
E,S, Batterham, E, Belinda Dettmann and D.J. Farrell (1993). Phosphorus studies
in Pigs. 3. Effect of phytase supplementation on the digestibility and
availability of phosphorus in soya-bean meal for grower pigs. Brit. J. Nutr. 70(1), 289-311.
Spence, S.A.,
Dettmann, E.B. and Wilson, J.M. (1992).The rate of decline of alpha- and
beta-benzene hexachloride residues in contaminated pigs. Aust. Vet. J.69(1),
17-18.
Conference Proceedings
Williams, L.G.,
R.M. Butterfield and E. Belinda Dettmann (1968). Assessment and improvement of
carcase composition in beef cattle. Proceedings
of the Australian Society of Animal Production.7, 318-322.
Pattie, W.M.,
L.G. Willaims and E. Belinda Dettmann (1970). Selection for improvement of
economic returns for weaner cattle. Proceedings of the Australian Society of
Animal Production. 8, 115-120.
Hennessy, D.W.
E. Belinda Dettmann and P.J. Williamson (1973). The effect of N, P, S and
carbohydrate supplements in the liveweight of cattle eating a mature
low-protein pasture. Proceedings of the Third World Conference on Animal
Production.1, 2(b)-7
Sheridan, A.K.,
C.A.W. Jackson, R.C. Chubb and E.B. Dettmann (1974). The Australian genetical studies
of Marek’s Disease resistance.Proceedings of the Australasian Poultry Science
Convention, Hobart, 22-26.
Robinson, D. and
E.B. Dettmann (1976). Controlled feeding of livestock – interaction with strain,
husbandry factors and nutritional management in the growing period. Proceedings
of the First Australian Poultry and Stock Feed Convention. 1, 166.
Sheridan, A.K.,
C.R. Howlett and E.B. Dettmann (1976). Selection for tibial dyschondroplasia in
Australian meat chickens. . Proceedings of the First Australian Poultry and Stock
Feed Convention. 1, 176-181. .
Kaiser, A.G.,
A.M. Ashwood and E.B. Dettmann (1982). Influence of wheat, soybean meal and
sodium bicarbonate supplements on the yield and composition of milk from
grazing dairy cows.Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal
Production. 12, 622.
Advisory
Articles
Benson, R.J. and
E.B. Dettmann (1975). Mastitis control – profit or loss. Agric. Gaz. NSW. 86, 44-45.
Dettmann, E.
Belinda (1977). Design of experiments for Camellia research. Camellia News. 72, 26-30.
Stace, P. and
E.B. Dettmann (1985). Managed pollination in sunflowers.Sunflower. 9, No 3.
Dettmann, E.B.,
J. Caperon, L.E. Leon, J.M. English and M. Walsh (1987). New avocado maturity
standards. Subtropical Fruit Grower.
9, No 5. 13-16.
Fitzell, Ross
and Belinda Dettmann (1987). Usefulness of Semperfresh on custard apples. Subtropical Fruit Grower. 9, No 5, 9.
McDougall, K.W. and E. Belinda Dettmann (1990). Organochlorine residues in fish from the Coff's Harbour City Council area, 1986 to 1989. Technical Bulletin 37. NSW Agriculture & Fisheries.