Cuttings from a fruit tree..genetically identical........short term effects/long-term effects...Read!!!?

OK, so I really have no idea on this...



I know it is possible to take cuttings from a fruit tree that displays the largest and healthiest fruit in the orchard and plant these cuttings to grow new trees, genetically identical to the tree from which the original cuttings were taken. This could result in an orchard full of superior fruit-producing trees, each maximizing quality and quantity of yield.



However,



What are the short-term AND long-term effects of this approach to this methodology.



THANKS!...

Cuttings from a fruit tree..genetically identical........short term effects/long-term effects...Read!!!?
Short term, you get bigger fruit. Or better fruit, more disease and temperature resistant. Everybody is happy. Long term effects are a decrease in bio-diversity. Similar charactoristics mean similar genetic traits. If they are all the same, lets say all oranges are similar in the future (they will not be obviously because different kinds grow in different places), and a disease comes along, affects the genes or, more commonly, just the traits, that are very similar, Oranges die and people die of lack of vitamin C (Unlikely, we could probably find a new source, and use it instead) but you see the point. People are scared of a lack of biodiversity, which is a good thing, but so are big fruit. I would tell you not to worry about it as long as varied varieties exist.
Reply:Short term effect, you could get a whole orchard of superior trees.

Long term effect, the lack of biodiversity will leave the strain vulnerable to pathogen, a pathogen that could overcome one tree's defense mechanism will easily infected all others.
Reply:A fruit asking about fruit!



Seriously though I always wondered if the cutting would act like a real tree.



My lemon cuttings have all died due to spider mites.