Exemplary methods for use in identifying crosses for use in plant breeding are disclosed. One exemplary method includes selecting a subgroup of potential crosses, based on thresholds associated with population prediction scores for the set of potential crosses. The exemplary method further includes selecting multiple target crosses from the subgroup of potential crosses based on a genetic relatedness of the parents in the subgroup of potential crosses, filtering the target crosses based on a rule (or rules) defining a threshold (or thresholds) for at least one characteristic and/or trait, selecting ones of the filtered target crosses based on risk associated with the selected one of the filtered target crosses, and directing the selected ones of the filtered target crosses into a breeding pipeline, thereby providing crosses to the breeding pipeline based, at least in part, on commercial success of parents included in the selected ones of the filtered crosses.
