Iyulskaya rannyaya

Early-maturing variety, developed at the North Caucasus Regional Institute of Horticulture and Viticulture (origin unknown). Breeders: L. M. Sergeev and E. I. Kostetskaya. Approved in the Krasnodar region and widely cultivated in private and farmer orchards.

Trees are medium-sized with medium-dense, broadly oval crowns. Branches are straight, emerge from the trunk at nearly right angles, directed upwards. Bark on the trunk and branches is greenish-gray, peeling.

Shoots are medium-length, straight, smooth, brownish-gray. Buds are small, sparse; buds are medium-sized, round, smooth, slightly curved. Leaves are medium-sized, elongated, short-pointed, smooth, glossy, light green. Leaf blade is flat, without hairs, leaf margin slightly toothed; petiole is medium-sized, bare, medium thickness. Flowers are medium-sized, white, odorless; petals are oval.

Fruits are medium-sized, weighing 120 g, bottle-shaped, one-dimensional, surface smooth. Skin is smooth, tender, matte, yellow-green at harvest maturity, turning lemon-yellow with bright blush on the sun-exposed side upon ripening. Subcutaneous dots are small and barely noticeable. Peduncle is long, straight or curved. Calyx is sharply conical, without rust. Receptacle is open, non-deciduous; disk is small, smooth. Seed cavity is medium-sized, onion-shaped, chambers closed, small; seeds are medium-sized, conical, dark brown.

Flesh is white, tender, juicy, slightly acidic-sweet, good flavor. Sensory rating: 4.0–4.3 points. Under Kuban conditions, fruits contain 11.7% soluble solids, 7.2% sugars, 0.24% titratable acids, 6.3 mg/100g ascorbic acid, and 44.5 mg/100g raw mass of P-active catechins.

Harvest maturity occurs July 10–15; storage life is 6–10 days.

Fruits do not drop. Transportability is good.

Trees begin fruiting in the 6th–7th year after planting in orchards. Fruit set occurs on complex spurs and whip branches. Annual fruiting; average yield in the central Kuban region, aged 12–17 years, is 180–200 centners/hectare. High drought and cold hardiness; in unfavorable years, affected by scab up to 1 point.

Advantages of the variety: high yield, early fruit maturity, drought and cold hardiness of the tree.

Disadvantages of the variety: small fruit size.