Abscisic acid is a plant hormone that promotes dormancy in seeds, buds, and underground stems.
Abscisic acid is known as dormin because during times of stress like drought and floods, the abscisic acid promotes dormancy to protect the seeds from unfavorable conditions.
This dormancy is broken by gibberellins during favorable conditions.
Other important functions of abscisic acid are the growth and development of plants.
It also provides defense against pathogens, bacteria, and viruses.