Optimizing Agronomic Performance, Fermentation Quality, Nutritive Value, and Aerobic Stability of 3 Cool‐Season Cereals Silage Through the Harvest Stage and Glucose Supplementation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of harvest maturity and glucose supplementation on the fermentation characteristics, nutritive value, and aerobic stability of 3 cool‐season cereals’ silage. A randomized complete block design with a split‐plot arrangement was used, where cereal species (barley, triticale, and wheat) were assigned to main plots and harvest maturities (flowering, milky, and dough) to subplots. Glucose supplementations (0%, 3%, and 6%) were applied to each harvested material during laboratory‐scale silage preparation. Interactions among species, harvest maturity, and glucose supplementation were detected for multiple fermentation indicators, including pH ( p < 0.01), ammonia nitrogen ( p = 0.04), lactic acid ( p < 0.01), butyric acid ( p < 0.01), propionic acid ( p < 0.01), ethanol ( p < 0.01), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) ( p < 0.01), and yeast ( p < 0.01) as well as for key chemical composition traits such as neutral detergent fiber ( p < 0.01), and crude protein (CP) ( p < 0.01). Glucose supplementation, particularly at 6%, enhanced lactic acid production (from 1.75% to 3.03%), reduced pH (from 4.68 to 4.12) and ammonia‐N (from 15.87% to 9.02%) concentrations, and increased LAB counts (from 6.62 log 10 cfu g −1 dry matter (DM) to 7.65 log 10 cfu g −1 DM) across species and maturity stages. Acetic and propionic acid concentrations rose moderately, indicating improved aerobic stability, whereas ethanol and butyric acid levels remained within acceptable limits. Neutral and acid detergent fiber concentrations decreased with higher glucose addition, while CP values showed species‐specific responses. The longest aerobic stability (298.09 h) was recorded in triticale silages harvested at the dough stage. These findings collectively indicate that wheat at the dough stage with 6% glucose tended to perform best under the conditions of this study, although a comprehensive multi‐criteria evaluation would be required to determine an absolute optimal combination.