For an annual crop, a standcount which is a measure of crop emergence may be taken, particularly if differences are obvious.
Phytotoxicity as a result of a particular chemical is usually assessed visually and often can only be evaluated subjectively.
In some situations, there may be value in harvesting some plants midseason to assess root-galling or other growth characteristics.
For small plots, harvests can be done by hand and yields evaluated in a manner appropriate for the crop (e.g. weight, grade, size). For Easter lilies , for example, bulb circumferance and apparent root health are of primary concern.
Large plots or large numbers of plots may utilize equipment similar to that used for commercial applications but of a smaller size.
Large plots or plots involving tree crops which are difficult to harvest by hand may be harvested with a growers commercial equipment with some provision made to obtain total weight per replicate (as with this scale attached to the arms of a forklift) or to obtain a subsample for grading.