A study published in the Phytobiomes Journal explores the potential of cover cropping to protect crops from disease by cultivating a healthier aboveground plant microbiome. Conducted by a team of researchers, the study found that winter rye cover crops reduced the population of Pseudomonas syringae, a common bacterial pathogen, and increased the abundance of beneficial genera like Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium. These findings suggest that cover cropping can be used to manipulate biological interactions to protect plants against pathogens, offering a promising approach for farmers to minimize disease in their crops.