A method of stimulating germination in plant seeds and/or releasing plant tissue or plant organs from dormancy, comprising applying to a seed, plant, plant organ or plant tissue a compound of formula (I): where: R1 is alkyl or H R2, R3, R4 and R5 are independently selectable from H, halide, —NO2, —SO2R′, —OH, —Oalkyl where R′ is alkyl or aminoalkyl and/or R1 and R5 are joined as —O(CH2)m—, where m is 1, 2, 3 or 4 R6 is a substituted or non-substituted alkyl, and/or substituted or non-substituted aryl and n is an integer of 1 to 4.