AbstractAndrogenetic doubled haploid spring barley lines (DH‐lines) were compared in field experiments with their pedigree‐selected sister lines (PD‐lines). The PD‐lines resemble a selected proportion of 1 % (10−2) or less of the original complete F2‐population. By comparison, an average of 10 DH‐lines were recovered from 10,000 anthers X>1,000 microspores, i.e. at least 107microspores per cross. The average success rate was therefore approximately 10−6.Both PD‐ and DH‐families showed similar levels of performance with regard to all the characters studied, although no conscious selection had been applied in deriving doubled haploid progeny. Therefore, it is concluded that the regenerated microspore‐progenies may be the result of unconscious selection among the large numbers of