Borassus flabellifer L., a dioecious palm has significant importance due to its agronomic, ecological and socioeconomic value. Despite its importance, systematic genetic evaluations are limited due to its long juvenile phase and dioeciousness. To bridge the gap a sequential multivariate framework was used in the study to find the best female accessions with balanced yield potential and ideal supporting traits. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed to evaluate thirty accessions for 11 morphological and yield-related traits over a two year period. Principal component analysis (PCA) used to reduce the dimensionality of the traits and to identify the main contributors to variation as tree height, trunk girth, single fruit weight and fruit yield per palm. The Mahalanobis D² analysis identified four phenotypically divergent clusters, with two unique accessions (Acc. 23 and Acc. 58) exhibiting exceptional trait combinations. Finally, the multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index (MGIDI) consolidated all traits into a singular selection index, identifying Acc.12, Acc.10 and Acc.32 as the accessions most closely resembling the ideotype. This multivariate approach is integrated and goes beyond standard yield-based selection by capturing trait interrelationships and providing a practical framework for the identification of elite palms for targeted breeding and conservation.
