Final answer:
Chromosome number does not necessarily correlate with the amount of DNA due to variations in chromosome size and the presence of non-coding DNA. Drawbacks to estimating DNA content based on chromosome number include these variations and DNA complexity. Quantitative comparisons can be made using DNA isolation and quantification techniques in a laboratory.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the information given about the genetic material and chromosomes in different fruits, we can attempt to draw a conclusion about the correlation between chromosome number and DNA amount. While it might seem intuitive that more chromosomes would equate to more DNA, this isn't always the case since chromosome size and the amount of DNA can vary considerably between species. The strawberry, being octoploid (8n), likely has more chromosomes than the kiwi, which is hexaploid (6n), but we cannot conclude they have proportionally more DNA without considering other factors such as chromosome size, the amount of non-coding DNA, and the activity of transposable elements which can affect the overall DNA content.
Some of the drawbacks to making conclusions about DNA content based solely on chromosome number include the aforementioned variation in chromosome sizes and the complexity of DNA sequences. For instance, some species have a significant amount of non-coding or 'junk' DNA that doesn't necessarily correlate to the organism's complexity or size.
To make a more quantitative comparison in a laboratory setting, one could use techniques such as DNA isolation, followed by spectrophotometric DNA quantification or fluorometry. These methods would allow for the measurement of actual DNA content, rather than just estimating based on chromosome number.