Expected levels of heterozygosity in autotetraploid progeny populations

The level of heterozygosity at multi-allelic loci is related to vigor in autotetraploid forage species. Increasing the proportions of tri- and tetra-allelic individuals in the commercial seed generation is one approach for improving yield. In this study, computer simulation was used to determine the expected genotypic structures of progeny populations from various mating designs. Four- and 8-allele models were examined.