two lines of hairy root culture of ageratum conyzoides l. induced by agrobacterium rhizogenes atcc 15834 were established under either complete darkness or 16 h light/8 h dark photoperiod conditions. the volatile oil yields from aerial parts and roots of the parent plant, the hairy root culture photoperiod line and the hairy root culture dark line were 0.2%, 0.08%, 0.03% and 0.02%, (w/w), respectively. the compositions of the volatiles from the hairy roots, plant roots and aerial parts were analysed by gc and gc-ms. the main components of the volatiles from the hairy root cultures were -farnesene, precocene i and -caryophyllene, in different amounts, depending on light conditions and also on the age of cultures. precocene i, -farnesene, precocene ii and -caryophyllene were the main constituents of the volatile oils from the parent plant roots, whereas precocene i, germacrene d, -caryophyllene and precocene ii were the main constituents of the aerial parts of the parent plant. growth and time-course studies of volatile constituents of the two hairy root lines were compared. qualitative and quantitative differences were found between the volatile oils from the roots of the parent plant and those from the hairy roots.