It is mentioned in Dune Messiah that Muad'Dib's jihad resulted in the "sterilization" of a number of planets.

> 
> “Very good, Stil.” Paul glanced at the reels in Korba’s hands. Korba
> stood with them as though he wished he could drop them and flee.
> “Statistics: at a conservative estimate, I’ve killed sixty-one
> billion, **sterilized ninety planets**, completely demoralized five
> hundred others. I’ve wiped out the followers of forty religions which
> had existed since—”
> 
> 
> 

The question of *why* his followers felt the need to wage a Jihad is addressed [here](https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/69304/how-could-the-fremen-do-what-they-did-to-the-empire-in-dune-messiah) but I'd like to know how this particular feat (sterlising planets) was accomplished and what these poor souls did to deserve such treatment.