There was a short-story about astronauts who lost in space on lifeless planet.
They tried to grow crops but all attempts failed until the last one buried their bodies into ground.
Those plants started a evolution chain so when the next expedition discovered the planet they were surprised by Earth-like plants and the absolute absence of animals.
I read it in the 1990s, but likely it is a bit older. The storyline itself was self-contained and not related to other stories in book.
There is a chance it was Robert Sheckley but I reviewed his bibliography and haven’t found it yet.