Global warming is expected to increase the earth’s surface mean temperatures by 1.5 to 4.8 ºC by 2100 (IPCC 2014) and it is reported to reduce the yield of major crop plants including rice by 41% by the end of 21st century. Rice is the most important staple food crop across the world and feeds more than 3 billion people in Asia and Africa. Heat stress affects the g...