The realization of the benefits of stubble catch crops (CC) cultivated after the harvest of the main crop requires the ability to produce substantial amounts of biomass before the onset of winter. The growth and biomass production of CC is primarily determined by the time period of sowing and weather conditions of the site.
The construction of a new indicator of agroclimatic conditions for the cultivation of CC is described. This indicator includes the possible time period for CC sowing according to the harvest time of the preceding main crop, temperature, and water conditions for emergence and growth.
The termination of growth due to low temperatures is considered. The assumptions used for the construction of the indicator, and the relationships to CC biomass were validated with data from field experiments.
The resulting maps of regions in the Czech Republic with similar indicator values for three groups of CC differing in temperature demands are shown.