Cereals, such as rice, wheat, maize, rye, oats, barley and millet, are pivotal staple crops at a global scale and, when processed properly, they can be a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, fats, oils and proteins as well (Poutanen et al., 2022). Yet, the large-scale growing of cereals is not without problems as various fungal and bacterial pathogens can challenge these valuable crop plants, reducing yield and, in several cases, quality, sometimes by accumulating toxins in infected seeds (Andrade and Caldas, 2015; Anonymous, 2023b; Kayim et al., 2022; Kumar et al., 2022; Pereira et al., 2022). Depending on the crop and region, the impact of fungal and bacterial diseases on crop losses can vary significantly (Savary et al., 2019). In wheat (Triticum aestivum), which is the second most important food crop in the world (Poutanen et al., 2022), Septoria tritici blotch (STB) caused by the ascomycete fungus Zymoseptoria tritici (syn. Mycosphaerella graminicola), can be a devastating foliar disease, particularly in Northwest Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in yield losses of 5 to 7% (Savary et al., 2019). The Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC), which is the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), not only affects yield but also accumulates mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), in the infected grains. This disease seems to be particularly problematic in China with yield losses reaching almost 9% (Savary et al., 2019). Stem rust is most prominent in Sub-Saharan Africa with reported losses reaching almost 9% (Savary et al., 2019).