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Professor of Chemical Ecology
Agriculture, Health and Environment Department
+44 (0)1634 88 3207
Professor David Hall has worked at the Natural Resources Institute and its predecessor organisations for 45 years. He was made Professor of Chemical Ecology in 1997. At the University of Greenwich he has worked as director of the Agricultural Research Centre, deputy head of the Pest Management Department and head of the Chemical Ecology Group.
Professor Hall is a natural products chemist with over 45 years' experience in the isolation, identification, synthesis, formulation and field application of insect semiochemicals and other natural products for monitoring and controlling pests and diseases of crops, livestock and humans. He has extensive short-term overseas experience in Asia, Africa and South America.
Professor Hall's research is directed at reducing the use of conventional, chemical insecticides through the development of more environmentally acceptable and sustainable approaches, particularly those based on natural products such as pheromones and other semiochemicals. His work has had major impacts on the development of bait technologies to control tsetse fly throughout Africa, and on the use of pheromones against pests of rice, cotton, coffee and cocoa in Africa and SE Asia. In Europe he has been particularly successful in developing new approaches to the management of beetle pests in pine forests and midge pests in a range of horticultural crops. This work has been carried out with an extensive network of collaborators in research institutes, universities and commercial companies throughout the world.
Professor Hall is author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications. He was awarded the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers' prize for research and development in 2004 and the University of Greenwich's prize for Research and Enterprise in 2007 and was part of the NRI team that was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2019.
Professor Hall is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and an active member of the local Kent Section Committee, for which he has served as Chairman and Treasurer.
Professor Hall's particular interest is the identification and synthesis of natural products involved in the interaction of organisms with each other and with their surroundings. Examples are pheromones of insects, which control many aspects of their behaviour such as mating, feeding and egg-laying and are amongst the most biologically-active compounds known. Other examples are the odours of plants, animals and humans which attract or repel insects and other plant chemicals which affect the behaviour of pests or diseases. Replicating these compounds synthetically requires use of a range of analytical techniques, in order to define their precise chemical structure, and a wide repertoire of synthesis strategies.
While Professor Hall's research group has particular expertise in chemical analysis and synthesis, one of its key strengths is the ability to interact with biologists in the laboratory and field, and with growers and commercial companies. In this way it can ensure the results of its research are taken forward into the field to help manage pests and diseases in an environmentally acceptable, sustainable manner.
Funding: AHDB SF174
Partners: NIAB EMR, RSK ADAS, Harper Adams University, James Hutton Institute, Russell IPM, BioBest
This project is the latest phase in a rolling programme of research on improving IPM in soft fruit crops funded by the AHDB. This phase has a number of objectives and those involving NRI include the following.
Funding: AHDB SF145
Partners: NIAB EMR, James Hutton Institute, MicroBiotech
Spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila, suzukii (SWD), is an invasive pest that has been the most damaging pest on soft fruit, top fruit and grapes since its arrival in the UK in 2013. This project is the latest phase in a rolling programme of research on control of SWD funded by the AHDB. In this phase, NRI will be particularly involved in exploitation of a powerful repellent for SWD discovered by PhD student, Christina Conroy. This will be tested in large-scale trials on cherry and raspberry. NRI also provides lures for traps used in season-long monitoring of SWD populations in England and Scotland.
Funding: Innovate UK 104607
Partners: NIAB EMR, Russell IPM, Berry Gardens Ltd
Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (SWD) is an invasive pest in the UK, and is currently the most important and damaging insect pest in horticultural crops. This project aims to develop a novel device to attract the flies and then infect them with an entomopathogenic fungus which is highly specific against SWD. The flies can pass the fungus to other flies before dying, greatly enhancing the efficiency of the device. NRI will be particularly involved in developing the attractant to be used in the device. A lure based on fermentation volatiles has been developed which is now marketed by Russell IPM under the name “SWD DryLure”.
Funding: BBSCR IPA (BB/S005994/1)
Partners: NIAB EMR, Berry Gardens, University of Southampton
Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (SWD) is an invasive pest in the UK, and is currently the most important and damaging insect pest in horticultural crops. In previous work, scientists from NIAB EMR working at the University of Southampton showed that SWD was deterred from laying eggs on plates that had previously had D. melanogaster adults mating and laying eggs on them. This project aims to determine the cause of this deterrence which might be developed to deter egg laying by SWD on crops.
It is considered likely that the origin of this deterrence is chemical. NRI is responsible for isolating and identifying candidate chemicals for laboratory and field bioassays at NIAB EMR.
Funding: Forest Research; Forests and Lands Scotland
Partners: Forest Research, Sentomol
The pine weevil, Hylobius abietis, is a serious pest of young pine seedlings that is a major constraint in establishing new pine plantations in Scotland and throughout Europe. The aim of the project is to develop a trap that can be used both for monitoring Hylobius and as a device for selective transfer of biocontrol agents to the beetles in a “lure-and-infect” approach. NRI is developing attractants for Hylobius based on components of the volatiles released by host plants and also potential aggregation pheromones produced by the beetles themselves.
Funding: Innovate UK 105534
Project Partners: PES Technologies, Small Robot Company Ltd, HL Hutchinson Ltd, NIAB EMR, University of Essex
Healthy soils are vital for food production. They also provide the largest store of terrestrial carbon, helping to mitigate climate change. Healthy soils are less prone to erosion which exacerbates the damage caused by flooding and the associated economic and human costs. This project aims to tap into the wealth of information contained in the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by soil biota. These have been demonstrated to be excellent indicators of soil biota activity, but their detection and measurement currently requires laboratory-based instrumentation and skilled personnel. In previous work, PES Technologies have developed cheap electronic sensors capable of detecting these VOC’s with the potential to provide virtually real-time, in situ measurements of soil biota activity. In this project data from the sensors will be correlated with a wide range of measurements of soil health. Machine learning will be used to process the data obtained to provide a cloud-based database that can be accessed directly by sensors in the field. NRI scientists are responsible for collecting, analysing and identifying volatiles from a wide range of soil types to provide the data for validating the sensor outputs.
Funding: AHDB; BBSRC; UoG HEIF
Partners: NIAB-EMR; Thanet Earth; van Iperen BV
Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Heteroptera: Miridae) is a tropical mirid bug which is used as a biocontrol agent in protected crops, including tomatoes. Although N. tenuis predates important insect pests, especially whitefly, it also causes damage by feeding on tomato plants, particularly when prey populations decline. In this project the female-produced sex pheromone of N. tenuis was identified and synthesised and shown to attract male bugs. Large-scale trials of mating disruption are in progress in glasshouses in the UK and The Netherlands
Funding: UoG Seedling Fund and UK Heather Trust
Partners: UK Heather Trust; various moorland farmers
Heather Beetle, Lochmaea suturalis, is a widespread and common insect species found across Britain. The larvae and to a lesser extent the adult beetles feed on the leaves of heather plants, stripping them bare and damaging the health of the heather. Periodically, heather beetle populations expand into huge outbreaks, in which millions of beetle grubs can decimate hundreds of hectares of carefully managed heather. This project aims to demonstrate the existence of a pheromone in this species, to identify and synthesise it and to evaluate its potential for monitoring and control of the pest in laboratory and field studes. To date production of a pheromone by male beetles has been demonstrated and a candidate chemical structure proposed. Synthesis of this is underway to make material available for laboratory bioassays and field trapping trials.
Funding: Russell IPM/EU Horizon 2020
Partners: Russell IPM (UK), BioPhero (Denmark),. BPF (Netherlands), Fraunhofer (Germany), SEDQ Healthy Crops (Spain), ISCA Europe (France), and Novagrica (Greece)
This EU H2020 project aims to exploit technologies for bio-based production of insect pheromones developed by BioPhero (Denmark) that promise to reduce the cost of these compounds and make widespread use in mating disruption economically feasible.
NRI is contracted by Russell IPM to assay pheromones produced by this technology and to determine release rates of new formulations developed for mating disruption.
Funding: University of Valladolid, Spain
Partners: University of Valladolid, Spain; University of California Riverside, USA
The Western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, is an invasive pest from the US in Europe and has become a major problem in cultivation of pine nuts in Spain and Italy. In work on the chemical ecology of this pest by NRI and the University of Valladolid, Spain, male bugs were shown to produce a novel sesquiterpene that caused a strong electrophysiological response in both male and female bugs. The same compound was also shown to be produced by the related L. zonatus, a pest of various fruits and nuts in the southern US. In collaborative work with Prof Jocelyn Millar, the structure of the sesquiterpene was identified and the synthetic compound is currently being investigated as an attractant in field trapping experiment in Spain and California.
Lead research group
Professor David Hall has worked at the Natural Resources Institute and its predecessor organisations for 45 years. He was made Professor of Chemical Ecology in 1997. At the University of Greenwich he has worked as director of the Agricultural Research Centre, deputy head of the Pest Management Department and head of the Chemical Ecology Group.
Professor Hall is a natural products chemist with over 45 years' experience in the isolation, identification, synthesis, formulation and field application of insect semiochemicals and other natural products for monitoring and controlling pests and diseases of crops, livestock and humans. He has extensive short-term overseas experience in Asia, Africa and South America.
Professor Hall's research is directed at reducing the use of conventional, chemical insecticides through the development of more environmentally acceptable and sustainable approaches, particularly those based on natural products such as pheromones and other semiochemicals. His work has had major impacts on the development of bait technologies to control tsetse fly throughout Africa, and on the use of pheromones against pests of rice, cotton, coffee and cocoa in Africa and SE Asia. In Europe he has been particularly successful in developing new approaches to the management of beetle pests in pine forests and midge pests in a range of horticultural crops. This work has been carried out with an extensive network of collaborators in research institutes, universities and commercial companies throughout the world.
Professor Hall is author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications. He was awarded the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers' prize for research and development in 2004 and the University of Greenwich's prize for Research and Enterprise in 2007 and was part of the NRI team that was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2019.
Professor Hall is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and an active member of the local Kent Section Committee, for which he has served as Chairman and Treasurer.
Professor Hall's particular interest is the identification and synthesis of natural products involved in the interaction of organisms with each other and with their surroundings. Examples are pheromones of insects, which control many aspects of their behaviour such as mating, feeding and egg-laying and are amongst the most biologically-active compounds known. Other examples are the odours of plants, animals and humans which attract or repel insects and other plant chemicals which affect the behaviour of pests or diseases. Replicating these compounds synthetically requires use of a range of analytical techniques, in order to define their precise chemical structure, and a wide repertoire of synthesis strategies.
While Professor Hall's research group has particular expertise in chemical analysis and synthesis, one of its key strengths is the ability to interact with biologists in the laboratory and field, and with growers and commercial companies. In this way it can ensure the results of its research are taken forward into the field to help manage pests and diseases in an environmentally acceptable, sustainable manner.
Funding: AHDB SF174
Partners: NIAB EMR, RSK ADAS, Harper Adams University, James Hutton Institute, Russell IPM, BioBest
This project is the latest phase in a rolling programme of research on improving IPM in soft fruit crops funded by the AHDB. This phase has a number of objectives and those involving NRI include the following.
Funding: AHDB SF145
Partners: NIAB EMR, James Hutton Institute, MicroBiotech
Spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila, suzukii (SWD), is an invasive pest that has been the most damaging pest on soft fruit, top fruit and grapes since its arrival in the UK in 2013. This project is the latest phase in a rolling programme of research on control of SWD funded by the AHDB. In this phase, NRI will be particularly involved in exploitation of a powerful repellent for SWD discovered by PhD student, Christina Conroy. This will be tested in large-scale trials on cherry and raspberry. NRI also provides lures for traps used in season-long monitoring of SWD populations in England and Scotland.
Funding: Innovate UK 104607
Partners: NIAB EMR, Russell IPM, Berry Gardens Ltd
Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (SWD) is an invasive pest in the UK, and is currently the most important and damaging insect pest in horticultural crops. This project aims to develop a novel device to attract the flies and then infect them with an entomopathogenic fungus which is highly specific against SWD. The flies can pass the fungus to other flies before dying, greatly enhancing the efficiency of the device. NRI will be particularly involved in developing the attractant to be used in the device. A lure based on fermentation volatiles has been developed which is now marketed by Russell IPM under the name “SWD DryLure”.
Funding: BBSCR IPA (BB/S005994/1)
Partners: NIAB EMR, Berry Gardens, University of Southampton
Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (SWD) is an invasive pest in the UK, and is currently the most important and damaging insect pest in horticultural crops. In previous work, scientists from NIAB EMR working at the University of Southampton showed that SWD was deterred from laying eggs on plates that had previously had D. melanogaster adults mating and laying eggs on them. This project aims to determine the cause of this deterrence which might be developed to deter egg laying by SWD on crops.
It is considered likely that the origin of this deterrence is chemical. NRI is responsible for isolating and identifying candidate chemicals for laboratory and field bioassays at NIAB EMR.
Funding: Forest Research; Forests and Lands Scotland
Partners: Forest Research, Sentomol
The pine weevil, Hylobius abietis, is a serious pest of young pine seedlings that is a major constraint in establishing new pine plantations in Scotland and throughout Europe. The aim of the project is to develop a trap that can be used both for monitoring Hylobius and as a device for selective transfer of biocontrol agents to the beetles in a “lure-and-infect” approach. NRI is developing attractants for Hylobius based on components of the volatiles released by host plants and also potential aggregation pheromones produced by the beetles themselves.
Funding: Innovate UK 105534
Project Partners: PES Technologies, Small Robot Company Ltd, HL Hutchinson Ltd, NIAB EMR, University of Essex
Healthy soils are vital for food production. They also provide the largest store of terrestrial carbon, helping to mitigate climate change. Healthy soils are less prone to erosion which exacerbates the damage caused by flooding and the associated economic and human costs. This project aims to tap into the wealth of information contained in the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by soil biota. These have been demonstrated to be excellent indicators of soil biota activity, but their detection and measurement currently requires laboratory-based instrumentation and skilled personnel. In previous work, PES Technologies have developed cheap electronic sensors capable of detecting these VOC’s with the potential to provide virtually real-time, in situ measurements of soil biota activity. In this project data from the sensors will be correlated with a wide range of measurements of soil health. Machine learning will be used to process the data obtained to provide a cloud-based database that can be accessed directly by sensors in the field. NRI scientists are responsible for collecting, analysing and identifying volatiles from a wide range of soil types to provide the data for validating the sensor outputs.
Funding: AHDB; BBSRC; UoG HEIF
Partners: NIAB-EMR; Thanet Earth; van Iperen BV
Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Heteroptera: Miridae) is a tropical mirid bug which is used as a biocontrol agent in protected crops, including tomatoes. Although N. tenuis predates important insect pests, especially whitefly, it also causes damage by feeding on tomato plants, particularly when prey populations decline. In this project the female-produced sex pheromone of N. tenuis was identified and synthesised and shown to attract male bugs. Large-scale trials of mating disruption are in progress in glasshouses in the UK and The Netherlands
Funding: UoG Seedling Fund and UK Heather Trust
Partners: UK Heather Trust; various moorland farmers
Heather Beetle, Lochmaea suturalis, is a widespread and common insect species found across Britain. The larvae and to a lesser extent the adult beetles feed on the leaves of heather plants, stripping them bare and damaging the health of the heather. Periodically, heather beetle populations expand into huge outbreaks, in which millions of beetle grubs can decimate hundreds of hectares of carefully managed heather. This project aims to demonstrate the existence of a pheromone in this species, to identify and synthesise it and to evaluate its potential for monitoring and control of the pest in laboratory and field studes. To date production of a pheromone by male beetles has been demonstrated and a candidate chemical structure proposed. Synthesis of this is underway to make material available for laboratory bioassays and field trapping trials.
Funding: Russell IPM/EU Horizon 2020
Partners: Russell IPM (UK), BioPhero (Denmark),. BPF (Netherlands), Fraunhofer (Germany), SEDQ Healthy Crops (Spain), ISCA Europe (France), and Novagrica (Greece)
This EU H2020 project aims to exploit technologies for bio-based production of insect pheromones developed by BioPhero (Denmark) that promise to reduce the cost of these compounds and make widespread use in mating disruption economically feasible.
NRI is contracted by Russell IPM to assay pheromones produced by this technology and to determine release rates of new formulations developed for mating disruption.
Funding: University of Valladolid, Spain
Partners: University of Valladolid, Spain; University of California Riverside, USA
The Western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, is an invasive pest from the US in Europe and has become a major problem in cultivation of pine nuts in Spain and Italy. In work on the chemical ecology of this pest by NRI and the University of Valladolid, Spain, male bugs were shown to produce a novel sesquiterpene that caused a strong electrophysiological response in both male and female bugs. The same compound was also shown to be produced by the related L. zonatus, a pest of various fruits and nuts in the southern US. In collaborative work with Prof Jocelyn Millar, the structure of the sesquiterpene was identified and the synthetic compound is currently being investigated as an attractant in field trapping experiment in Spain and California.
Lead research group
