Abstract: ‘Yazaoli 1’is a novel early-ripening chestnut cultivar selected from Castanea mollissima seedling populations,demonstrating high yield and superior quality. This medium-sized cultivar exhibits strong fruiting capacity,maturing in early September. Each burr produces 2.9 nuts on average with a kernel recovery rate of 49.05%. The nuts present an attractive globular morphology with glossy surface,averaging 16.24 g per nut. Nutritional analysis reveals high starch content（62.5% dry weight）dominated by amylopectin（85.1%）,complemented by 12.4% soluble sugars,5.4% protein,and 2.9% fat,endowing the kernels with fine texture and pleasant sweetness. The cultivar initiates fruit production 2-3 years after planting,achieving commercial yields of 4 500-6 000 kg · hm^-2 during peak productivity. It shows optimal adaptation to mountainous and hilly terrains below 1 000 m elevation in Zhejiang Province and southern region.

Key words: Castanea mollissima, early-ripening, high yield, high kernel recovery rate