Abstract: Objective The edible mushroom industry has become the fifth largest agricultural pillar industry in China, but the enclosed, high-temperature, high-humidity, and poorly ventilated conditions in factory cultivation have created favorable circumstances for pathogen colonization and spread, severely threatening yield and quality. Chemical control faces serious challenges due to pathogen resistance, selective toxicity to mushroom mycelia, and residue safety risks, whereas biological control has attracted increasing attention as a green and sustainable strategy. This paper systematically reviews the major types of edible mushroom diseases and the research progress in their biological control. Among bacterial diseases, brown blotch caused by Pseudomonas tolaasii is the most prominent; fungal diseases include green mold, wet bubble disease, red bread mold, dry bubble disease, and cobweb disease, with diverse pathogens and severe damage. Biocontrol resources mainly consist of antagonistic microorganisms such as Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., and yeasts, as well as plant-derived extracts like cinnamon and thyme essential oils. Their mechanisms of action encompass the secretion of lipopeptide antimicrobials that disrupt cell membranes, the production of extracellular hydrolases that degrade cell walls, and the linearization inactivation of pathogenic toxins. Although many biocontrol agents have shown promising efficacy in laboratory studies, their practical application still faces difficulties in accurate pathogen identification, significant gaps between laboratory and field performance, high costs of scaled-up production, and incomplete standardization and regulatory systems. Future efforts should focus on strengthening pathogen surveillance and genomic research, optimizing biocontrol formulations and application techniques, reducing industrial production costs, and establishing comprehensive standards and regulatory frameworks, so as to promote the effective integration of biological control into integrated management of edible mushroom diseases.

Key words: edible fungi, diseases, biological control, mechanisms of action, sustainable agriculture