 Their method involves a 2-year one-cycle rotation of crops, with a short-fallow period, generally maize, beans and peas.For example, with maize farming amongst the Matengo, in November a farmer will make furrows of roughly 5 centimetres on the ridges and sow the seeds, and commence weeding in December.The maize is then harvested in July and then the field is reduced to fallow until the following March to allow the soils to recover.