The present invention provides methods for producing a transgenic soybean plant soybean plant part or soybean plant cell having increased resistance to soybean cyst nematode parasitism comprising introducing into the soybean plant soybean plant part or soybean plant cell a heterologous miR164 nucleotide sequence wherein the heterologous miR164 nucleotide sequence is expressed in the soybean plant soybean plant part or soybean plant cell thereby producing a transgenic soybean plant soybean plant part or soybean plant cell having increased resistance to soybean cyst nematode parasitism relative to a control soybean plant soybean plant part or soybean plant cell. The invention further provides methods of reducing soybean cyst nematode cyst formation in a soybean plant soybean plant part or soybean plant cell as well as compositions including nucleic acid constructs for transforming a plant plant part or plant cell and transformed plants plant parts and plant cells.
