1.2 Objectives of PPBstats

PPBstats is a freely available package based on the R software [R_Core_Team] that performs analyses on the data collected during PPB programs at four levels:

• network of seed management (section 2),
• agronomic trials (section 3) in order to set, describe and analyse balanced and unbalanced trials in decentralized participatory plant breeding programmes. Nutritional data are also dealt here as it is the same data structure as agronomic data. The statistical procedures are based on frequentist and bayesian approaches.
• organoleptic tests (section 4)
• molecular experiments (section 5)

Within a PPB programme, it is important to give results back to the farmers in order to discuss results and accompagny them in their selection. This can be done through the creation of reports with results coming from the analysis (section 6).

The objectives of PPBstats are

1. to have a single package capable of performing all analyses required for PPB programmes with comprehensive documentation, and
2. to create a community working on PPB programmes in order to improve the package, exchange on how to process data from PPB programmes and develop good practices.