“Harvest starts at the header,” says Kris Kristjanson, sales manager at Duck Foot Parts.
Ahead of 2026 harvest on EMILI’s Innovation Farms Grosse Isle site, Kristjanson outfitted a MacDon W155 swather and a John Deere X9 combine with Duck Foot® paddle tines as part of a collaboration with EMILI to evaluate the impact on header loss and harvest efficiency on a Manitoba grain and oilseed farm.
“Reducing harvest loss represents one of the fastest and most economical opportunities to improve farm profitability,” said Kristjanson.
Resembling a duck’s foot, the paddle tines slip seamlessly over standard header tines and are compatible with most brands. So far this season, EMILI has demonstrated the product in wheat, looking at its impact on ground efficiency and speed. It will also be demonstrated in other crops such as soybeans.
The above image illustrates three different roles that contribute to testing, validating, and demonstrating technology and equipment on EMILI’s Innovation Farms.
Made-in-Canada innovation
The made-in-Canada innovation was invented by Saskatchewan farmers Steve and Chrisa Kastning. The first prototypes were developed in 2016 and the company launched in 2018 at Canada’s Farm Progress Show, where Duck Foot® earned a Sterling Innovation Award.
“They designed it to help with lentils, because they were having high amounts of header loss,” explained Kristjanson. “As we’ve grown, and as we’re doing more testing, we’re finding that this product actually works in all crops.”
On their website, Duck Foot Parts highlights the paddle tines ability to help producers cover 47% more surface area and increase ground speed by 20%.
“If you start running under capacity, you’re not running efficiently and you’re actually promoting grain loss,” said Kristjanson. “By putting paddle tines on the combine, and getting them to feed those combines more evenly, we’re gaining in a lot of cases, around 20% ground speed increase in wheat.”
This could save a bushel, or even in some cases two bushels, of grain.
Through this year’s harvest demonstrations, Kristjanson is hoping more Manitoba farmers see how the product could increase efficiency on their farms.
“I grew up and was raised on a cattle farm in Manitoba here, and one of the things that I noticed is, exposure into Manitoba is sometimes hard to get into,” he said.
Kris Kristjanson, sales manager at Duck Foot Parts demonstrates paddle tines at EMILI Field Day. (Photo credit: EMILI)
Showcasing innovation in action
The chance to connect with farmers and innovators, at events such as EMILI’s 2026 Field Day, has been extremely valuable, including opportunities to share stories with media, showcase how the innovation works in action, answer questions, and ultimately increase adoption.
“EMILI’s Innovation Farms is an excellent partner for Duck Foot®. The crop data EMILI provides allows us to put a dollar amount to what our product can do for producers,” he said.
As part of his EMILI Field Day presentation, someone asked about durability. In response, Kristjanson passed around a paddle tine.
“It has 30,000 acres on it and there’s no wear,” he said. “We’ve taken a paddle out of a box that comes out of one of our injection molds, thrown it on the ground and driven over it with a forklift in our warehouse. It doesn’t change the contour, the make of the paddle, or the way it looks.”
In addition to being extremely durable, the expanded surface area makes it easier to sweep up crops that might otherwise sit on or slip past standard reels.
“Our goal is not to change the way farmers harvest, it’s to help them capture more of the crop,” said Kristjanson, “Every bushel that reaches the grain tank instead of the ground has value.”
Visit EMILI’s Innovation Farms to learn more about this project and other activities. EMILI hosts field tours and demonstrations on Innovation Farms throughout the season to showcase new agricultural technology, expand innovation opportunities, and increase understanding and adoption of digital tools.