A plant cell placed in a hypertonic solution will:
a. Lose water
b. Gain water
c. Neither gain nor lose water because of the cell wall
d. Both gain and lose water equally
e. Gain water initially and then lose water

When a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, it will lose water due to osmosis, as water moves out of the cell to balance the solute concentration outside. This results in a phenomenon called plasmolysis, where the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall, and the plant may wilt.

This concept is relevant in agricultural practices, especially in understanding how plants react to saline soils. Excessive salt (a hypertonic solution) can lead to water loss from plant cells, reducing growth and yielding, which is why farmers often investigate soil salinity when planning irrigation strategies for their crops.