pestR

pestR is a package for the R statistical programming language designed to assist in the analysis of pest and disease monitoring data. It provides a collection of functions and tools for data manipulation, visualization, and statistical modeling relevant to entomology, plant pathology, and other fields concerned with pest management. The package aims to streamline common tasks encountered when working with field survey data, such as calculating infestation levels, estimating population densities, and performing spatial analyses.

Key functionalities within pestR include functions for data import and cleaning, which are often crucial steps in handling complex biological datasets. It also offers capabilities for generating descriptive statistics and creating various types of plots, including time-series graphs, distribution plots, and maps to visualize spatial patterns of pest occurrence. Furthermore, pestR incorporates methods for statistical inference, allowing users to test hypotheses about pest dynamics, assess the effectiveness of control measures, and build predictive models. The package is developed with the intention of being user-friendly, providing accessible tools for researchers and practitioners who may not have extensive programming backgrounds but require robust analytical methods for their monitoring programs.