The present invention relates to methods of increasing pathogen resistance in a plant or a part of a plant. In one aspect, the method comprises contacting the plant or the part of the plant with a double-stranded RNA or a small RNA duplex that targets a fungal dicer-like (DCL) gene, wherein the plant or the part of the plant has increased resistance to a fungal pathogen compared to a control plant or control plant part that has not been contacted with the double-stranded RNA or small RNA duplex.