Abstract Zea mays L., a globally vital C₄ cereal, is increasingly threatened by fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), a destructive and insecticide-resistant pest. This study developed a nano-enabled strategy integrating green-synthesized SiO2 nanoparticles (GS-SiNPs) for plant fortification with nano-formulated emamectin benzoate (EMB-NPs) for enhanced insecticidal activity.