Chinese scientists have found heat-resistant genes in crops, offering new approaches to tackle global warming-caused crop losses.

Using genetic research, experts have identified TT3, the physical location of heat-resistant genes for rice in Africa, within which the two genes of TT3.1 and TT3.2 interact together to enhance the heat resistance of rice.

There is an exciting prospect to use TT3.1 and TT3.2 in breeding rice, wheat, corns and other crops, said Lin Hongxuan, an academician at the Center of Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Science (CEMPS) in Shanghai.

Global warming has become one major risk to food safety.

The global average temperature is estimated to rise 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius in 2040, which could reduce global crop yields by 30 to 40 percent. However, the global population is expected to grow to more than 9 billion by that time.

The research, in which Lin's team from CEMPS and Lin Youshun's team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University collaborated, was published on the top scientific journal Science on Friday.