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Radioactivity in the marine environment, although present since the Earth’s formation, is comparatively understudied in contrast to aerial and terrestrial environments. A thorough examination of the radioactivity levels in aquatic environments can establish a robust foundation for comprehending various geochemical processes and phenomena within the water column and near the seabed, and as a result estimate the impact of radioactivity on local ecosystems. To achieve this objective, in-situ, long-term, and continuous monitoring is required. The present part I of the white paper highlights the fundamentals of marine radioactivity, describes the main objectives of an ambitious EU-funded project (RAMONES: Radioactivity Monitoring in Ocean Ecosystems) and introduces the innovative aspects of the technology developed as novel solutions to open problems.

AbstractThe present study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and differentiation of Pinus nigra Arnold, the European black pine, populations located in protected forested areas in three countries from the Balkan and Mediterranean region: Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus. Totally, 175 DNA samples from P. nigra plants collected from eight populations in these countries were analyzed using three SRAP primer pairs. The applied SRAP markers demonstrated high-resolution power, resulting in the identification of an average of 215 ± 67 polymorphic loci per SRAP primer pair. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 82% of the observed variation was due to intra-population variation, while 18% was due to inter-population variation. The overall analysis of the population structure suggested low (Fst ≤ 0.01) intra-country differentiation for the populations from Bulgaria and Cyprus and moderate (0.15 ≤ Fst ≤ 0.17) inter-country differentiation. On the contrary, high differentiation between the populations (0.06 ≤ Fst ≤ 0.20) and complex genetic structure were characteristic of the three populations from Greece, relatively closely located in the area of the Pindos National Park. Analysis of the population structure also revealed that one of the Pindos populations belonged to the cluster of Bulgarian populations (Fst ≤ 0.01), showing moderate (Fst ≤ 0.11) to high (Fst ≤ 0.20) genetic differentiation from the other analyzed Pindos populations. The further use of SRAP markers for mapping the genetic diversity among P. nigra populations and identification of local populations diverted from the overall phylogeography-driven pattern in the studied region are discussed.

Phaseolus coccineus L. is a highly valuable crop for human consumption with a high protein content and other associated health benefits. Herein, 14 P. coccineus L. landraces were selected for genetic characterization: two Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) landraces from the Prespon area, namely “Gigantes” (“G”) and “Elephantes” (“E”), and 12 additional landraces from the Greek Gene Bank collection of beans (PC1–PC12). The genetic diversity among these landraces was assessed using capillary electrophoresis utilizing fluorescence-labeled Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) and Expressed Sequence Tag (EST); Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) is a molecular marker technology. The “G” and “E” Prespon landraces were clearly distinguished among them, as well as from the PC1 to PC12 landraces, indicating the unique genetic identity of the Prespon beans. Overall, the genetic characterization of the abundant Greek bean germplasm using molecular markers can aid in the genetic identification of “G” and “E” Prespon beans, thus preventing any form of fraudulent practices as well as supporting traceability management strategies for the identification of authenticity, and protection of the origin of local certified products.

Pistacia lentiscus var. chia is a valuable crop for its high-added-value mastic, a resin with proven pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical properties harvested from the male tree trunk. To achieve the maximum economic benefits from the cultivation of male mastic trees, it is important to develop early sex diagnosis molecular tools for distinguishing the sex type. Thus far, the work on sex identification has focused on Pistacia vera with promising results; however, the low transferability rates of these markers in P. lentiscus necessitates the development of species-specific sex-linked markers for P. lentiscus var. chia. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding: (i) the development of species-specific novel transcriptome-based markers for P. lentiscus var. chia and their assessment on male, female and monoecious individuals using PCR-HRM analysis, thus, introducing a cost-effective method for sex identification with high accuracy that can be applied with minimum infrastructure, (ii) the effective sex identification in mastic tree using a combination of different sex-linked ISSR and SCAR markers with 100% accuracy, and (iii) the impact evaluation of sex type on the genetic diversity of different P. lentiscus var. chia cultivars. The results of this study are expected to provide species-specific markers for accurate sex identification that could contribute to the selection process of male mastic trees at an early stage for mass propagation systems and to facilitate future breeding efforts related to sex-linked productivity and quality of mastic resin.

Speleothems found in caves worldwide are considered the natural libraries of paleontology. Bacteria found in these ecosystems are generally limited to Proteobacteria and Actinomycetota, but rare microbiome and “Dark Matter” is generally under-investigated and often neglected. This research article discusses, for the first time to our knowledge, the diachronic diversity of Actinomycetota entrapped inside a cave stalactite. The planet’s environmental microbial community profile of different eras can be stored in these refugia (speleothems). These speleothems could be an environmental “Microbial Ark” storing rare microbiome and “Dark Matter” bacterial communities evermore.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a crop of enormous economic and cultural importance. Over the years, the worldwide production of olive oil has been decreasing due to various biotic and abiotic factors. The current drop in olive oil production resulting from climate change raises concerns regarding the fulfillment of our daily demand for olive oil and has led to a significant increase in market prices. In the future, there will be a higher chance that we will face a severe shortage of olive oil, which could harm both the economic sector and the food supply. As olive groves cover more than 5 million hectares in the European Union alone, the need to preserve the crop in the context of extreme climatic events is imperative. As drought is considered one of the most limiting factors in agriculture, drought-resistant varieties and sustainable irrigation strategies are being developed to mitigate the impact of drought on crop productivity and secure the future supply of olive oil. This review focuses on recently gained insights into drought stress in olive trees through omics and phenomics approaches to unravelling mechanisms that may lead to developing new varieties that are tolerant against drought elicited by changes in growing systems.

The dimorphic fungus Taphrina deformans is the causal agent of peach leaf curl disease, which affects leaves, flowers, and fruits. An RNA-seq approach was employed to gain insights into the transcriptional reprogramming of a peach cultivar during leaf inoculation with the yeast phase of the fungus across a compatible interaction. The results uncovered modulations of specific peach differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in peaches and pathways related to either the induction of host defense responses or pathogen colonization and disease spread. Expression profiles of DEGs were shown to be highly time-dependent and related to the presence of the two forms of the fungal growth, the inoculated yeast form and the later biotrophic phase during mycelial development. In parallel, this differential reprogramming was consistent with a diphasic detection of fungal load in the challenged leaves over the 120 h after inoculation (HAI) period. Leaf defense responses either occurred during the early yeast phase inoculation at 24 HAI, mediated primarily by cell wall modification processes, or more pronouncedly during the biotrophic phase at 72 HAI, as revealed by the activation of DEGs related to pathogen perception, signaling transduction, and secondary metabolism towards restraining further hypha proliferation. On the contrary, the expression patterns of specific DEGs at 120 HAI might further contribute to host susceptibility. These findings will further allow us to elucidate the molecular responses beyond the peach—T. deformans interaction.

In the last two decades, plant taxonomy has bloomed, following the development of a novel technique, namely, DNA barcoding. DNA barcodes are standardized sequences, ideally unique, coding or non-coding, either from the genome of the organism or from its organelles, that are used to identify/classify an organismal group; in short, the method includes amplification of the DNA barcode, sequencing and comparison with a reference database containing the relevant sequences from different species. In plants, the use a universal DNA barcode, such as COI, which is used in animals, has not been achieved so far. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made in DNA barcoding within the field of plant taxonomy. It highlights the success of various barcode loci, the emergence of super barcodes from the chloroplast genome, and the overall impact of next-generation sequencing technologies on the field. The discussion of different approaches reflects the ongoing efforts to refine and optimize DNA barcoding techniques for plants, contributing to the advancement in our understanding of plant biodiversity.

Walnut is one of the most important nuts regarding their production and consumption. The available but uncharacterized genetic resources of walnut are important for the development and breeding of local varieties. Greece holds an important number of genetically uncharacterized walnut landraces, especially within the area of Parnon, which is considered to play a significant role as an in situ gene bank, due to its unique location traits. However, the genetic characterization and further use of these resources has been insufficient, due to the absence of genetic studies. In this study, we implemented SSR molecular markers, both to genetically characterize the walnut tree genetic diversity of the Parnon area and to identify its unique genetic structure, which will form the starting material for subsequent breeding programs. Overall, high levels of genetic variation were found among the individual walnut accessions that were collected in the Parnon mountain region.

Plants can develop stress memory as a response to various abiotic stresses, but the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Most of the knowledge concerning the mechanisms of stress memory development and inheritance in plants is primarily based on research in the model plant Arabidopsis. While shared mechanisms exist across plant species, it is crucial to expand our understanding of epigenetic regulation in crops. Stress priming, or prior exposure to mild stress, can enhance a plant’s adaptation to future stress events and the development of stress memory. During stress priming, plants undergo physiological, biochemical, molecular, and epigenetic changes that can be transient or maintained throughout their lifespan, and in some cases, these changes can also be inherited by the offspring. In this review, we present the current state of knowledge on the development of priming-induced stress memory in agronomically important crops towards stress resilience. The most prominent abiotic stresses, namely, heat, cold, salt, drought, and waterlogging, are highlighted in relation to stress cis-/trans-priming and memory development at the intra-, inter-, and transgenerational levels. The cost for developing stress memory in plants along with the duration of these memory imprints and stress memory fading are also discussed. This review is particularly important in the era of climate change, which necessitates the development of agricultural sustainability strategies.

Microalgae are a renewable and sustainable source of bioactive compounds, such as essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidant compounds, that have been documented to have beneficial effects on nutrition and health. Among these natural products, the demand for natural antioxidants, as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants, has increased. The antioxidant activity of microalgae significantly varies between species and depends on growth conditions. In the last decade, microalgae have been explored in livestock animals as feed additives with the aim of improving both animals’ health and performance as well as product quality and the environmental impact of livestock. These findings are highly dependent on the composition of microalgae strain and their amount in the diet. The use of carbohydrate-active enzymes can increase nutrient bioavailability as a consequence of recalcitrant microalgae cell wall degradation, making it a promising strategy for monogastric nutrition for improving livestock productivity. The use of microalgae as an alternative to conventional feedstuffs is becoming increasingly important due to food–feed competition, land degradation, water deprivation, and climate change. However, the cost-effective production and use of microalgae is a major challenge in the near future, and their cultivation technology should be improved by reducing production costs, thus increasing profitability.

In the present study, selected cosmeceutical properties of aqueous extracts from the microalgae strain Trachydiscus minutus were assessed and compared with those obtained using three widely used Chlorella strains (C. vulgaris, C. sorokiniana, and C. minutissima). Among all extracts, T. minutus extracts showed the highest total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and inhibitory potency towards elastase, suggesting potential activity in controlling skin aging. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory activity and UVA protection of T. minutus extract were evaluated employing normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. The results showed that the T. minutus extract was able to significantly inhibit the transcription of selected marker genes involved in inflammation [interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)]. In addition, treatment of NHDF and HaCaT cells with T. minutus extract ameliorate the UVA-induced cell damage by decreasing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Extracts from T. minutus were formulated into a skin care cream and an aqueous gel. Both formulas exhibited excellent compatibility and stability. Comprehensively, all these results suggest that T. minutus extract displays promising cosmeceutical properties by providing antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory activities, and therefore has potential for cosmeceutical use.

Monilinia laxa, Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia fructigena are the three main causal agents of brown rot, which is one of the most important diseases of stone fruits in pre- and postharvest conditions. Nowadays, the need for the precise genotyping of these Monilinia species in terms of the genetic diversity of their populations or differences in their pathogenicity and host range is a prerequisite for any efficient disease management. In our study, the genetic structure of Monilinia populations in Serbia from three geographically distinct regions was investigated employing a high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis which is a sensitive and rapid molecular approach in fungal ge­notyping and diagnostics. Using species-specific primer pairs genotype-specific HRM melting curve profiles were generated allowing to efficiently decipher the genetic diversity of the Monilinia populations. The Monilinia genotypes could be easily distinguished according to their melting curves. The isolates from the northern region were assigned to distinct genotypes and grouped rather independently compared to the isolates of the other two regions among all three tested Monilinia spp. M. fructicola and M. fructigena showed a higher genetic diversity among their populations (44%) compared with the genetic diversity among the M. laxa populations (7%). In contrast, the genetic variance within the pathogen populations was higher in the case of M. laxa (93%). Our data revealed an absence of host specificity in the Monilinia spp. populations.

Local germplasm may be the basis for genetic improvement for sustainability and resilience, yet little is known about Greek peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] local genetic resources. The aims of the present study were to entail a prospection in the mainland and islands of Greece for local traditional and underutilized germplasm and study their genetic and morphological variation and susceptibility to shoot blight from Cylindrocarpon destructans and Monilinia laxa. A total of 32 peach cultivars/accessions were prospected from the mainland (Imathia and Magnesia) and islands (Andros, Ikaria, Kythira, Lesvos and Samos) of Greece. Leaf and fruit morphological characterization was made in situ and ex situ using 42 qualitative and quantitative morphological descriptors. Nine clones of ‘Lemonato’, isolated in Magnesia, with differing ripening times, were found to vary in leaf and fruit phenotypic traits. The local peach genotypes were separated from 12 old foreign cultivars, in 8 out of the 42 leaf and fruit phenotypic traits studied. We observed greater lesion damages from C. destructans than M. laxa. Local cultivars had greater resistance to Cylindrocarpon destructans than foreign cultivars, with ‘Lemonato Andrea’, ‘Daggalakou’ and ‘Papagianni’ exhibiting the greatest resistance. Genetic characterization was performed in the studied local and foreign peach cultivars/accessions, using eight Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs), resulting in a total of 404 bands. Analysis of molecular variance and principal coordinates analysis revealed moderate to low genetic diversity among the peach cultivars, and three distinct clusters were formed. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was implemented for the association study between morphological traits and the ISSR markers, revealing several markers that are statistically and significantly correlated with fruits’ traits. The obtained results could be valuable for breeding programs and future research on peach.

Vicia faba L. (faba bean) is one of the most promising pulse crops due to its nutritional value and high nitrogen fixation capacity. The aim of the present study was to compare the genetic diversity and the seed metabolite profiles of five genetic materials of faba bean. Specifically, three newly developed advanced lines (KK18, KK14 and KK10) and two commercial cultivars (POLIKARPI and TANAGRA), were evaluated for this purpose. Genetic diversity among populations was assessed by SCoT molecular markers. Through UPGMA dendrogram, genetic distances between populations were estimated. Untargeted metabolomics analysis of the seeds was performed employing GC/EI/MS. The cultivar POLYKARPI exhibited the highest polymorphism. All varieties showed a higher within-cultivars and advanced lines variability than between. POLYKARPI and KK14 had the lowest genetic distances, while KK18 and TANAGRA presented the highest ones. The advanced line KK18 displayed the best nutritional profile, the highest concentration of desirable metabolites (lactic acid and trehalose), the lowest concentration of anti-nutritional factors (oxalic acid) and the lowest concentration of saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acid). According to the results of the present study, KK18 line is a very promising material for further exploration and utilization in breeding programs.

Pistacia lentiscus var. chia is a valuable crop for its high-added-value mastic, a resin with proven pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical properties harvested from the male tree trunk. To achieve the maximum economic benefits from the cultivation of male mastic trees, it is important to develop early sex diagnosis molecular tools for distinguishing the sex type. Thus far, the work on sex identification has focused on Pistacia vera with promising results; however, the low transferability rates of these markers in P. lentiscus necessitates the development of species-specific sex-linked markers for P. lentiscus var. chia. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding: (i) the development of species-specific novel transcriptome-based markers for P. lentiscus var. chia and their assessment on male, female and monoecious individuals using PCR-HRM analysis, thus, introducing a cost-effective method for sex identification with high accuracy that can be applied with minimum infrastructure, (ii) the effective sex identification in mastic tree using a combination of different sex-linked ISSR and SCAR markers with 100% accuracy, and (iii) the impact evaluation of sex type on the genetic diversity of different P. lentiscus var. chia cultivars. The results of this study are expected to provide species-specific markers for accurate sex identification that could contribute to the selection process of male mastic trees at an early stage for mass propagation systems and to facilitate future breeding efforts related to sex-linked productivity and quality of mastic resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is an important factor limiting plant productivity by affecting plant physiology and metabolism. To explore salt tolerance adaptive mechanisms in the model legume Medicago truncatula, we used three genotypes with differential salt-sensitivity: TN6.18 (highly sensitive), Jemalong A17 (moderately sensitive), and TN1.11 (tolerant). Cellular damage was monitored in roots and leaves 48 h after 200 mM NaCl treatment by measuring lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide contents, further supported by leaf stomatal conductance and chlorophyll readings. The salt-tolerant genotype TN1.11 displayed the lowest level of oxidative damage, in contrast to the salt sensitive TN6.18, which showed the highest responses. Metabolite profiling was employed to explore the differential genotype-related responses to stress at the molecular level. The metabolic data in the salt tolerant TN1.11 roots revealed an accumulation of metabolites related to the raffinose pathway. To further investigate the sensitivity to salinity, global transcriptomic profiling using microarray analysis was carried out on the salt-stressed sensitive genotypes. In TN6.18, the transcriptomic analysis identified a lower expression of many genes related to stress signalling, not previously linked to salinity, and corresponding to the TIR-NBS-LRR gene class. Overall, this global approach contributes to gaining significant new insights into the complexity of stress adaptive mechanisms and to the identification of potential targets for crop improvement.

Apple scab caused by Venturia inaequalis has the most destructive effects among other phytopathogens in apple crops all over the world. The integration of resistance genes from local and domestic cultivars is a prerequisite for the efficient control of this disease and is a main target in efficient breeding approaches. Across Greece, many domestic apple cultivars are reported without deep knowledge about the presence and diversity of scab resistance genes. In this study, the presence of five resistance genes (Rvi2, Rvi4, Rvi6, Rvi8 and Rvi11) was evaluated across twenty local and domestic apple genotypes, employing twelve molecular markers closely linked to known apple scab resistance loci. Significant differences and polymorphisms among the tested cultivars were detected suggesting that some of them carry a sufficient number of resistance genes. This observed genetic diversity could be exploited in ongoing breeding approaches as a natural source of polygenic resistance against apple scab.

This article describes testing the application of SRAP (sequence-related amplified polymorphism) markers for characterisation of a small set of plants of Quercus coccifera L and samples from 25 other forest tree species. The results suggest that SRAP markers could be used as an affordable and efficient tool for the characterisation of the genetic diversity in populations of tree species as a part of the characterisation of forest biodiversity and the related decision making and management.

Capture-based aquaculture is now gaining much attention in Southeast Asia. This system was used to produce several fish species with social and economic implications, including the giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes). As wild harvesting of organisms for seed stock is one of main practices in capture-based aquaculture, abundance and distribution of the wild stock are essential for both environmental impact evaluation and stock management. Mark and recapture, visual observation and physical capture of target species are costly, ineffective, and labour intensive for fish surveys in several cases. Detection of target organisms using eDNA (environmental DNA) could be a good alternative as it has proved to be a non-invasive, rapid, and sensitive method for aquatic species monitoring and surveying. Here, we developed a TaqMan assay that targets the 16S region of giant snakehead DNA to amplify eDNA captured in water samples. 300 µl of water samples were collected from 15 sites located in the Chao Phraya River Basin (Ping, Wang, Yom, Nan, and Chao Phraya River) and filtered with 0.7 µm glass fibre membrane filter. Giant snakehead eDNA was detected in most tributaries (60%) with concentrations ranging from 74.0 copies/ml in Wang River sites to 7.4 copies/ml in Nan River sites. As intensification of capture-based aquaculture could lead to depleting of wild fish stocks, urgent management is needed. However, the existing conventional approaches for assessment of fish overexploitation, survey and monitoring have several limitations.

The destructive effects of Fusarium wilts are known to affect the production of many crops. The control of Fusarium oxysporum and other soilborne pathogens was mainly based on soil fumigation (methyl bromide), which has long been prohibited and, nowadays, is based on a limited number of available fungicides due to legislation restrictions on residue tolerances and environmental impacts. Alternatively, natural and environmentally safe compounds, such as essential oils, are being investigated for their efficacy in the control of soilborne diseases. The great fungicidal ability of the oregano essential oil components (carvacrol and thymol) has been reported to inhibit the germination and the mycelial development of several fungal species, including F. oxysporum. The aim of our study was to demonstrate how the metabarcoding approach can provide valuable information about the positive or negative impacts of two different doses of oregano essential oil on Fusarium oxysporum and other fungal species which were present in the studied soil samples through the amplification of the ITS1 and ITS2 regions, which were analyzed on a MiSeq platform. A higher dose of oregano essential oil decreased the abundance of F. oxysporum, along with other fungal species, but also had negative effects on Trichoderma evansii and Mortierella chlamydospora, species with possible fungicidal properties. Soil properties, essential oil properties, the fungal composition, and interactions between fungal species should be considered as factors influencing the effectiveness of essential oils as biological control agents for soilborne pathogens.

Background The severe deforestation, as indicated in national forest data, is a recurring problem in many areas of Northern Thailand, including Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Agricultural expansion in these areas, is one of the major drivers of deforestation, having adverse consequences on local plant biodiversity. Conserving biodiversity is mainly dependent on the biological monitoring of species distribution and population sizes. However, the existing conventional approaches for monitoring biodiversity are rather limited. Methods Here, we explored soil DNA at four forest types in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in Northern Thailand. Three soil samples, composed of different soil cores mixed together, per sampling location were collected. Soil biodiversity was investigated through eDNA metabarcoding analysis using primers targeting the P6 loop of the plastid DNA trnL (UAA) intron. Results The distribution of taxa for each sample was found to be similar between replicates. A strong congruence between the conventional morphology- and eDNA-based data of plant diversity in the studied areas was observed. All species recorded by conventional survey with DNA data deposited in the GenBank were detected through the eDNA analysis. Moreover, traces of crops, such as lettuce, maize, wheat and soybean, which were not expected and were not visually detected in the forest area, were identified. It is noteworthy that neighboring land and areas in the studied National Park were once used for crop cultivation, and even to date there is still agricultural land within a 5–10 km radius from the forest sites where the soil samples were collected. The presence of cultivated area near the forest may suggest that we are now facing agricultural intensification leading to deforestation. Land reform for agriculture usage necessitates coordinated planning in order to preserve the forest area. In that context, the eDNA-based data would be useful for influencing policies and management towards this goal.

Leguminous crops play a key role in food production and agroecosystem sustainability. However, climate change and agricultural intensification have a significant impact on the available arable land, soil microbiome functions, and ultimately, crop productivity. The “Prespa bean” (Phaseolous coccineous L.) is an important leguminous crop for the agricultural economy of the rural areas surrounding the lake, Mikri Prespa, which is of significant ecological importance. The seasonal effects on soil microbiome structure, diversity and functions associated with the runner bean cultivation were investigated using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results indicated that the presence of the runner bean differentially shaped the soil microbial community structure. The runner bean was implicated in the recruitment of specific bacteria, by favouring or excluding specific classes or even phyla. Soil functions involved in nutrient availability and carbon metabolism, among other pathways, were associated with microbiome–plant interactions. The temporal relative abundance shifts could be explained by the impact of soil organic matter, the fertilization regime, and the equilibrium in carbon metabolic processes. This research has shown the effect of runner bean cultivation on the soil microbiome which, in future, may potentially contribute to research into sustainable agricultural productivity and the protection of soil ecosystem services.

Foliar fungal diseases are a serious threat to winter wheat production and climate change appears to favor pathogens associated with leaf blotch and tan spot symptoms in the Mediterranean area. The present work aimed to highlight these risks and propose appropriate disease management strategies by evaluating the seed treatment with the Systiva® (BASF) fungicide as a means to protect the crop against foliar fungal infections during the early growing stages. Towards that aim, plant tissue symptoms affected by the pathogens Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and Septoria spp. were systematically recorded in a study field in the region of Larissa, central Greece for three years (2016–2018), and the findings were associated with the monthly weather anomalies. Consequently, for the growing period of 2021–2022, a field experiment was established in the same disease prone field, comparing different doses of the seed treatment with Systiva® fungicide against leaf blotch and tan spot diseases. The evaluation was made by visual disease assessments, remote sensing with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and metagenomics analysis. Parallel measurements on straw residues were also made to characterize the plant residues perithecia (pseudothecia). Visual leaf disease assessments and UAV remote sensing data showed that Systiva® treatments at doses of 125 cc and 150 cc per 100 kg of wheat seed can reduce the percentage of infected wheat plants caused by foliar fungal pathogens at wheat growth stages GS23-25 and GS30-31. Moreover, the metagenomics analyses performed on the microbial communities revealed that Systiva® can decrease the degree of infection by P. tritici-repentis and Z. tritici but do not provide sufficient protection against P. nodorum. Foliar diseases were influenced by the soil surface area covered with straw residue with a high proportion of natural inoculum (pseudothecia/ascospores).