Abstract Background Edeine, a non-ribosomal antibiotic produced by Brevibacillus brevis X23, has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens, but its low yield in wild-type strains limits its potential for agricultural applications. This study aimed to enhance edeine production by genetically engineering B. brevis X23. Methods Red/ET homologous recombination technology was used to construct engineered strain X23(ΔabrB)::P mwp by knocking out global negative regulator AbrB and replacing the natural promoter of the edeine biosynthesis gene cluster (ede BGC) with the strong P mwp promoter. Results Quantitative PCR revealed significantly increased ede BGC transcription levels in X23(ΔabrB)::P mwp compared to the wild-type strain. High-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) demonstrated a 10.1-fold increase in the edeine peak area with the final yield reaching 97.3 mg/L. In pot experiments for tobacco bacterial wilt (pathogen name Ralstonia solanacearum) control, X23(ΔabrB)::P mwp showed an efficacy of 82.9%, representing a 32.6% improvement over the wild-type strain (62.5%). The engineered strain also demonstrated an increased plate inhibition capacity of 20.5–60.9% against Verticillium dahliae Kleb, Rhizoctonia solani, and Fusarium oxysporum in cotton, indicating its potential application in crop protection. Conclusions Therefore, this study yielded an engineered strain with increased edeine production and enhanced biocontrol efficacy, contributing to the development of biological control methods for plant diseases. Graphical Abstract